CDC excludes Pennsylvania deaths from national measles tally
Pennsylvania reported its fifth measles-associated death of 2026 on Wednesday — an unvaccinated Lancaster County resident — as the state’s outbreak climbed to 943 confirmed cases spread across 39 counties, with 176 hospitalizations to date.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced the death on Wednesday, saying the deceased had tested positive for measles. Health officials did not release further identifying information, citing privacy protections. The case marks Pennsylvania’s fifth measles-associated death of 2026, following a fourth death reported two weeks earlier.
As of Monday, September 28, the state had recorded 40 new positive cases. Only four of the outbreak’s confirmed cases — less than 1% — involved vaccinated individuals, according to state data. Health officials say daily totals can change, but monitoring the numbers gives residents and healthcare providers a clearer picture of community transmission across Pennsylvania and helps guide the state’s response.
Measles is considered one of the most contagious diseases known to medicine. The MMR vaccine prevents 97% of cases. Vaccination rates among kindergarten-aged children, which are considered an important indicator, have slowly declined as experts argue the Trump administration is promoting confusion and misinformation about vaccines among parents.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not counted the Pennsylvania measles deaths in its national tally. The discrepancy stems from changes the Trump administration made to its method for reporting measles deaths, a shift Pennsylvania officials have contested. Earlier this month, the state requested emergency assistance from the CDC in response to the outbreak, but warned that the request could be withdrawn unless the federal agency publicly recognized the measles-associated deaths reported by the state.
The dispute has its roots in public statements by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the US health secretary and former head of an anti-vaccine advocacy group, who has publicly questioned whether the deaths linked to the measles outbreaks since he took office were caused by the virus or by another condition.
State health officials have mounted a vaccination campaign in response. Since the outbreak began in late April, staff at state health centers have administered more than 5,500 measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations through 180 pop-up vaccination clinics in affected communities. Dozens of additional clinics are planned for the coming weeks and months, depending on community interest and need, the Department of Health said on Wednesday.
Agricultural communities in Lancaster and Mifflin counties have remained at the center of Pennsylvania’s outbreak. Utah, Florida, Virginia and Texas have also reported dozens of cases, according to tracking by Johns Hopkins University.
More than 3,600 measles cases have been reported across the United States in 2026, according to the CDC. The United States eliminated measles in 2000, though it remains unclear whether the country can retain that status amid the recent outbreaks.