At least two people have died of measles in Pennsylvania, the state’s health department said Tuesday, adding that both individuals were unvaccinated.
The measles deaths were the first in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 35 years, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) said in an Aug. 25 news release, and the first such deaths in the U.S. this year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data.
“Because measles was largely eliminated in the Commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don’t fully understand the potential severity of the illness,” Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen said in a statement. “As a physician, I want to make sure that people understand that the MMR vaccine is safe and provides the best protection we have against measles.”
Both individuals were residents of Lancaster County, DOH said, adding that it will not be identifying them to protect their and their families’ privacy.
DOH has confirmed 393 cases of measles so far in 2026 in Pennsylvania, according to the news release.
What Is Measles, and How Do You Get It?
Measles is a highly contagious virus that can cause severe short- and long-term health problems, including pneumonia and brain swelling. Nearly 20% of people who contract measles end up being hospitalized. Though measles-related deaths are rare, they are not uncommon, occurring in one to three patients per 1,000 cases, according to the DOH.
“The best protection against measles is getting fully vaccinated,” DOH said. “The MMR vaccine, administered over two doses, boosts a person’s immune system and provides 97% lifetime protection.”
The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is usually given in two doses around ages 1 and 5. The CDC also notes two doses are 97% effective at preventing measles, and that adults and teens should also be up-to-date on MMR vaccinations.
Is the MMR Vaccine Safe?
Medical experts have long said the MMR vaccine is safe and effective. For decades, the vaccine has been administered to millions of children, helping to prevent severe and life-threatening complications of measles, mumps and rubella. Serious side effects of the vaccine, including seizures, are rare.
The vaccine has been available in its current form since 1971, marking more than 50 years of safe and effective use. It’s also been instrumental in curtailing the spread of measles, which, before the vaccine’s introduction in 1963, sickened an estimated 3 to 4 million people in the United States every year, causing 500 deaths and 48,000 hospitalizations annually.
Measles Cases Reach Record High
Measles cases in the U.S. have surpassed last year’s total and represent the highest number of such cases recorded in the United States since the highly contagious disease was eliminated from the country nearly three decades ago, according to CDC data. The majority, 93%, occurred in unvaccinated people, and nearly 69% occurred in children ages 19 and younger.
Cases previously reached a 30-year high in 2025, with 2,289 confirmed infections across 43 states and D.C. for the entire year. Nearly 90% of cases were directly linked to 48 known outbreaks, and 93% of infections were contracted by unvaccinated people or those whose vaccination status was unknown. Three people, including two children, died as a result of the outbreaks, marking the first pediatric deaths from measles in a decade.
What Officials Say About the Vaccine
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, on Aug. 10, signed an executive order calling for more vaccine “flexibility,” fewer childhood vaccinations and splitting the combined childhood measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into three shots at different times. The order also states that all childhood vaccines should be spaced out, with each one administered during a separate doctor’s visit “to the maximum extent feasible.”
Announcing the order, Trump said that the MMR vaccine could be “quite lethal.” Experts, however, say the vaccine is safe and effective, and research indicates that dividing it into multiple shots has no health benefit.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, contradicted Trump’s statement about the MMR shot during an interview Aug. 23 on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” saying it is “not a lethal vaccine.”
