Pennsylvania health officials reported a fifth measles-associated death on September 30, saying an unvaccinated Lancaster County resident with a confirmed infection had died. The state Department of Health said its 2026 total had reached 943 cases across 39 counties. It did not release the person’s age or other identifying details, citing the family’s privacy.
The announcement marked another serious development in an outbreak that began in late April. According to the department’s latest update, 40 additional cases had been confirmed since September 28, while 176 people had been hospitalized this year. Only four of the 943 reported cases involved vaccinated people, the department said; the figures describe recorded cases rather than the risk faced by each vaccinated or unvaccinated resident.
The new death is the third reported in Lancaster County. The Associated Press reported that the earlier two involved infants too young for vaccination under current recommendations. The other previously reported deaths involved an 18-year-old in Mifflin County and a 40-year-old woman in Jefferson County. State officials describe all five as measles-associated deaths, and said none of the five people had been vaccinated.
Pennsylvania said it had reported the latest death to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state has held 180 temporary vaccination clinics in affected communities, where staff administered more than 5,500 measles, mumps and rubella vaccine doses. More clinics are planned. Across all providers statewide, more than 53,000 doses were administered during September, compared with about 25,000 in a typical month, the department said.
The wider US resurgence provides context for the state outbreak. The CDC counted 3,659 confirmed US cases through September 24, already above the 2,289 it recorded for all of 2025. Its data also showed kindergarten MMR coverage falling from 95.2% in the 2019–20 school year to 92.4% in 2025–26. The CDC says lower coverage leaves communities more exposed when the highly contagious virus arrives.
The department says two MMR doses offer about 97% protection against measles and is directing residents to health care providers and local health departments for vaccination. It will continue updating its outbreak dashboard as investigations proceed. Officials advise people with possible exposure and symptoms to contact a health care provider; measles can begin with fever, cough and red eyes before a rash appears.
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