Pennsylvania reported 792 measles cases for 2026 on Monday, September 21, after adding nearly 100 infections in one week, according to state health data cited by Reuters and The Philadelphia Inquirer. The state also recorded 155 hospitalizations, five more than on Friday, as its outbreak remained the largest in the United States this year.
The total rose by 25 cases from Friday and has climbed from 693 on September 14. Transmission has affected 38 counties since the outbreak began in late April. Lancaster County remains the center with more than 300 cases, while Mifflin County has reported 93 and Chester County 76, the Inquirer reported from state and county figures.
Pennsylvania officials classify four deaths this year as measles-associated, involving two infants, a 40-year-old woman and an 18-year-old. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had not yet included those deaths on its national measles dashboard, and state and federal authorities have disagreed over the classification process. Reuters said the CDC was reviewing how such deaths should be counted.
Nationally, the CDC had recorded 3,471 measles cases as of September 17, the highest level in decades. Measles spreads through the air and can remain infectious for up to two hours after an infected person leaves. Up to nine in ten unvaccinated people exposed can become infected, while complications may include pneumonia and brain swelling, especially in young children.
Health authorities say two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are about 97 percent effective. Pennsylvania has held 148 pop-up clinics and delivered more than 4,800 doses in affected communities since April. Providers administered more than 46,000 MMR doses in August, compared with about 25,000 in a typical month, and gave more than 25,000 doses during the first half of September.
The state plans free MMR vaccination at the Bloomsburg Fair from September 26 through October 3 and says more community clinics will follow according to demand. Officials are urging people with possible exposure or symptoms to contact a health provider before arriving for care, allowing clinics to limit further transmission while surveillance and vaccination efforts continue.
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