Two unvaccinated people die of measles in Pennsylvania
Tuesday, 25 August 2026 20:46
Two people who were not vaccinated against measles have died in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, state health officials said, as the state records 393 measles cases in 2026.
The deaths come as measles infections across the United States have reached their highest point in 35 years, BBC News reported. The US has recorded 2,777 confirmed cases seven months into 2026, up from 2,289 last year.
"My deepest sympathies are with the loved ones who are facing this unimaginable loss," Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Debra Bogen said in a statement. "Because measles was largely eliminated in the Commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don't fully understand the potential severity of the illness."
Bogen said the MMR vaccine provides the best protection against illness and death. The health department did not share additional information on the identities of the people who died. In Lancaster County, 85% of kindergarten-age students are vaccinated against measles, below the 95% coverage cited as needed for herd immunity to limit spread and protect immunocompromised people.
The US recommends two MMR shots for children between ages one and six, a schedule described as 97% effective in protecting against measles. Last year, two unvaccinated children in Texas died in a measles outbreak that infected more than 1,000 people, primarily children.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for fewer childhood vaccinations and recommending splitting the MMR vaccine into three separate shots; public health experts worry it will cause confusion about a vaccine they describe as safe and effective and prove costly. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, a vaccine skeptic, has given mixed messaging on the MMR vaccine, while the US is on track to lose its measles-elimination status in a November panel decision.
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