The Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed two measles-related deaths in Lancaster County, marking the state’s first fatalities from the disease in 35 years. Both individuals were unvaccinated, according to state health officials, who did not disclose further details due to privacy restrictions.
Pennsylvania has reported 393 measles cases across 28 counties in 2026, a figure that underscores the disease’s resurgence after decades of near-elimination. Nationally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 2,777 confirmed measles cases as of August 20, the highest annual total since the major outbreak between 1989 and 1991, which included more than 55,000 infections and 123 deaths.
Health Secretary Debra Bogen emphasized the lack of public familiarity with measles, noting that its near-eradication in Pennsylvania over the past three decades has led to complacency. ‘People are unfamiliar with this disease and do not fully understand its potential severity,’ Bogen stated. The outbreak has prompted renewed scrutiny of vaccination rates and public health preparedness.
