Federal officials are deploying extra support and nearly $4m to Pennsylvania as a fast-moving measles outbreak spreads across 42 counties and deaths rise to five.
Federal health officials are sending extra support to Pennsylvania as the state battles one of the country’s largest measles outbreaks in years, with cases continuing to rise and local leaders urging more vaccinations.
Pennsylvania reported 43 new cases on Friday, bringing this year’s total to 1,260, according to state figures cited by WGAL. Lancaster and Mifflin counties remain the hardest hit, and health officials have linked five deaths to the outbreak while investigating a possible sixth measles-associated death. Axios reported earlier this week that the suspected sixth death involves a 39-year-old woman from Franklin County with underlying health conditions.
On Thursday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr said in Virginia Beach that the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention would dispatch additional help to Pennsylvania after the state requested it. Kennedy said the federal government had only recently received that request and accused state officials of having politicised the outbreak. HHS said the CDC would send a “disease detective” to help with the response and provide nearly $4 million in one-time funding through most of 2027, though it did not explain how the money would be spent or what the investigator’s role would be.
Pennsylvania officials have described the outbreak as extensive and fast-moving. The state health department said on 14 October that it had confirmed 1,222 cases across 42 counties, up from 1,078 a week earlier, and that it had been administering MMR vaccine doses at a pace well above normal. Earlier state reporting showed 835 cases in 39 counties in late September, alongside more than 38,000 vaccine doses given in the first three weeks of that month. Health authorities continue to say the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is the best protection, and the CDC says two doses are 97% effective against measles.
Governor Josh Shapiro defended Pennsylvania’s response on Friday and pushed back against Kennedy’s comments, saying more residents are turning to medical experts and getting vaccinated. Shapiro said the state’s public-health efforts had helped deliver 55,000 vaccinations last month. As the outbreak spreads beyond a few initial hotspots, officials say those efforts remain central to stopping further transmission.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
