Measles deaths in Pennsylvania mark first fatalities in 35 years amid rising US cases

Two unvaccinated individuals have succumbed to measles in Pennsylvania, signalling the first deaths in the state in over three decades and highlighting a resurgence of the disease across the US as vaccination rates decline.

Two unvaccinated people have died from measles in Pennsylvania, the state health department said on Tuesday, in what officials described as the first measles deaths in the Commonwealth in 35 years. The deaths also appear to be the first measles fatalities reported in the United States this year.

Pennsylvania Health Secretary Debra Bogen said the loss was especially alarming because many people have little recent experience with a disease that was largely absent from daily life for decades. The state said both patients were unvaccinated, and public health officials again urged families to make sure children and adults are fully protected with the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

The deaths come as the country is dealing with a sharp rise in measles infections. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said there had been 2,777 confirmed cases in the United States so far in 2026, a figure already above the 2,289 cases reported for all of 2025. The agency reported 2,073 cases as of 4 June, and said outbreak data from states can push the national total higher as more reports come in.

Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, meaning sustained spread had stopped and most new cases were tied to travel. That status is now under strain as vaccination coverage slips in some places. CDC data show kindergarten MMR coverage fell from 95.2% in the 2019-20 school year to 92.5% in 2024-25, leaving many children more exposed if the virus reaches their communities. The CDC says two doses of MMR offer 97% lifetime protection, and it notes that measles remains highly contagious and can be severe, particularly for children, older adults and people with chronic health conditions.