Pennsylvania reports first US measles deaths of 2026, both in unvaccinated patients
Two unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, have died of measles, state health officials announced on Tuesday, marking the first US deaths linked to the virus in 2026. State Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen offered condolences to the families and warned that the public had grown unfamiliar with a disease that 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.
By Source Reporters Newsdesk
Thu, 27 August 2026 · 2 min read
Two unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, have died of measles, state health officials announced on Tuesday, marking the first US deaths linked to the virus in 2026. State Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen offered condolences to the families and warned that the public had grown unfamiliar with a disease that 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 deaths push the US tally of measles-associated fatalities over the past two years to five — more than the combined total reported over the previous three decades — and confirm 2026 as the country's worst year for measles since 1991. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the country has recorded 2,777 measles cases as of Thursday, surpassing the 2025 total, AP reported.
In November, international health officials are due to meet to determine whether the United States and Mexico have lost their measles-free status. The US eliminated local measles transmission in 2000 by maintaining high childhood vaccination rates, but coverage has since slipped below the 95% threshold needed to prevent outbreaks, AP noted, citing earlier reporting. The current surge has coincided with moves by President Donald Trump's administration to scale back childhood vaccinations on grounds that scientific studies have repeatedly rejected.
Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order calling for revamped childhood vaccine recommendations and advocated separating the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) shot into three separate vaccines administered at separate appointments, AP reported. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has a long history of skeptical statements about vaccine safety, has also dismissed all 17 members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and replaced them with advisers who include anti-vaccine voices. Public health experts warn that falling coverage and the policy shift raise the prospect of further outbreaks heading into the school year.
**Sources:** Associated Press
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