Pennsylvania has reported its worst measles outbreak in over three decades, with four deaths linked to unvaccinated individuals amidst a rising case count and concerns over vaccine coverage.
Pennsylvania has reported a fourth measles-related death this year, as officials warn that the state’s outbreak is still worsening and remains the largest it has seen in more than 30 years. The Pennsylvania Department of Health said the latest fatality involved an unvaccinated resident of Mifflin County in central Pennsylvania, while the county coroner told local media that the person was 18 and died of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, a rare and severe neurological complication linked to measles. (apnews.com)
The death follows the case of a 40-year-old woman from Jefferson County, reported at the weekend, and the deaths of two infants in Lancaster County in August. According to the state health department, none of the four people had been vaccinated, although the infants were too young to receive the shot. Health secretary Debra Bogen said Pennsylvania was facing its worst measles outbreak in more than three decades. (apnews.com)
State figures released on Sunday put the outbreak at 693 confirmed cases across 38 counties, with 133 hospitalisations and four infections in vaccinated people. The department said it had updated federal officials on its findings and was continuing to publish case data, hospitalisations, deaths and vaccination information on its measles dashboard. (pa.gov)
The outbreak comes amid a broader national resurgence. AP has reported that the US is experiencing its worst measles year since 1991, and that falling vaccination coverage has helped fuel outbreaks after measles was declared eliminated from domestic spread in 2000. Federal reporting has also become a flashpoint: Pennsylvania officials say the CDC has not yet counted any of the state’s deaths, while the agency’s mortality records still show no 2026 death certificate listing measles as the underlying cause. (apnews.com)
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