2 Die in Pennsylvania Measles Outbreak

Pennsylvania has recorded its first measles deaths in 35 years, as two unvaccinated residents in Lancaster County have died amid a fast-growing outbreak, state health officials said Tuesday. They are the first measles fatalities reported in the US this year, adding to three in 2025, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. The state has logged 393 confirmed cases so far, with 86 added in the past week and 70 people hospitalized, per NBC News. One third of all patients are children, and none have been fully vaccinated.

Nationwide, measles cases have climbed to 2,777 this year, the highest level since 1991, according to the CDC, which says most patients are unvaccinated. Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen urged residents to get the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, calling it safe and the strongest protection available. The standard two-dose regimen is estimated to prevent about 97% of measles infections, typically for life, per ABC News. Bogen said people "don't fully understand the potential severity of the illness," which was "largely eliminated in the Commonwealth for more than three decades" but is now surging.