Two people in Pennsylvania have died from measles, marking the first reported deaths from the disease in the U.S. this year. The Pennsylvania Department of Health said on Tuesday, Aug. 25, that the two people who died were unvaccinated and lived in Lancaster County, the epicenter of a statewide measles outbreak that has sickened hundreds. No additional information has been released about the two people who died.
State health officials said the deaths are the first measles-associated fatalities in Pennsylvania in 35 years. Debra Bogen, Pennsylvania’s health secretary, in a statement. More than 2,700 measles cases have been reported in the U.S. this year—the highest number of cases since the disease was considered eliminated in the country in 2000.
In just the past two years, the U.S. has recorded more measles cases than it did from 2000 through 2024 combined. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause high fever, a tell-tale rash, cough, and other symptoms. The disease can be mild for some, but about one in four people sickened with measles is hospitalized.
Young children, pregnant women, and the elderly are among those who are at risk of more severe disease. No specific treatment for measles exists. The measles vaccine—delivered as a combination measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shot series—is 97% effective at preventing the disease and lowers the risk of complications if someone is infected.
Within communities, a vaccination rate of above 95% is considered ideal for robust herd immunity against measles. The national MMR vaccination rate among kindergarteners surpassed 95% in the 2019-2020 school year, but it has been declining ever since, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
In 2025-2026, MMR vaccination coverage was just 92.4% nationally, and about 93% in Pennsylvania. In Lancaster County, home of the largest Amish settlement in the country, the vaccination rate was under 88%. An estimated 25% of the Amish population in Lancaster County is vaccinated against measles, according to the Association of Immunization Managers, an organization of state and local immunization officials.
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