The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced Tuesday that two unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County have died from measles. These are the first measles-related deaths reported in the United States this year and the first recorded in Pennsylvania in 35 years. State Health Secretary Debra Bogen stated that because the disease was largely eliminated in the state for over three decades, the public may not be familiar with the potential severity of the illness.
So far in 2026, Pennsylvania health officials have confirmed 393 measles cases across 28 counties. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 2,777 confirmed cases this year. This total exceeds the 2,289 cases recorded in 2025 and represents the highest annual count since 1991. The CDC reports that two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine are 97 percent effective at preventing the virus, which is transmitted through coughing, sneezing, or speaking.
The rise in cases follows recent federal policy changes regarding childhood vaccinations. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order intended to reduce the number of recommended vaccines for children and to separate combination shots like the MMR vaccine, describing the combined shots as "quite lethal." Medical experts stated this claim is not supported by scientific evidence. CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz contested the president's description during an interview on Sunday, while Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attributed the measles resurgence to previous Covid-19 lockdowns.
For the average household, this development highlights a change in the availability of certain medical preventions and the potential for increased exposure to a highly contagious virus. While President Trump's executive order seeks to break up combination shots, individual vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella are currently not available in the U.S. This means parents following the new federal recommendations would be unable to obtain separate doses at this time. Residents in the 28 affected Pennsylvania counties and across the country will notice continued public health warnings as officials like Governor Josh Shapiro (D) urge adherence to the standard two-dose MMR schedule to prevent symptoms such as high fever, rashes, and red eyes.
The resurgence of the virus puts the country's official "eliminated" status at risk, which requires the absence of continuous transmission for at least 12 months. A loss of this status could influence future federal and state public health policies, funding for vaccination programs, and school entry requirements. The World Health Organization (WHO) is scheduled to review the United States' measles elimination status in November 2026. This review will determine if the current level of transmission constitutes a formal end to the virus's eliminated status in the region.