Health officials in Pennsylvania reported on Tuesday that two unvaccinated individuals died from measles in Lancaster County. The deaths occurred amid a surge in cases that has reached the highest level in the United States in 35 years.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) addressed the deaths during a news conference, stating that the illness is preventable through the mumps, measles, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Officials have declined to release the identities or ages of the deceased, though they noted that children face a higher risk of complications and death from the virus.
According to health data, Lancaster County has an 85% vaccination rate among kindergarten-age students. This figure is below the 95% threshold that officials say is required for herd immunity, a state where enough of a population is immune to a disease to make its spread unlikely, thereby protecting those with weakened immune systems.
Nationwide, there have been 2,777 confirmed measles cases in the first seven months of 2026, surpassing the 2,289 cases recorded in all of the previous year. This rise follows a recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump that recommends splitting the MMR vaccine into three separate doses and calls for fewer childhood vaccinations. Public health experts cited by the report expressed concern that these changes could lead to confusion and increased costs.
The shifts in federal policy led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have created a conflict between the executive branch and the judiciary. Earlier this year, a federal judge blocked several of Kennedy’s attempts to remake the childhood vaccination schedule. The current administration’s recommendation to split the MMR vaccine into three separate shots marks a departure from standard medical practice, which critics say could increase the number of required healthcare visits for families and potentially lower completion rates for the full series of immunizations.
The U.S. currently faces the potential loss of its status as a country that has eliminated measles. A panel is scheduled to meet in November 2026 to determine if the virus is once again considered endemic in the U.S., a status Canada lost last year. Governor Shapiro stated he informed Secretary Kennedy that administration rhetoric is having a "negative impact" on communities, while Kennedy offered to send staff from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assist Pennsylvania. The outcome of the November panel will dictate future federal and state public health responses and resource allocation for virus containment.