Two unvaccinated individuals have died from measles in Pennsylvania, state health officials announced. The deaths contribute to a national surge in measles cases, which has reached its highest point in 35 years.
Pennsylvania has recorded 393 cases of the highly contagious virus this year. The state’s Secretary of Health, Debra Bogen, expressed her condolences to the families of the deceased, emphasizing that measles was largely eliminated in the state for over three decades, leading to a lack of public awareness regarding its potential severity. The MMR (mumps, measles, and rubella) vaccine is recommended as the most effective protection against the disease.
Nationwide, the U.S. has documented 2,777 confirmed cases of measles within the first seven months of 2026. This figure surpasses the 2,289 cases reported in the previous year. Public health experts attribute the rise in infections to increasing vaccine hesitancy, which has led to lower immunization rates. The standard U.S. recommendation involves two doses of the MMR vaccine for children between one and six years old, offering a 97% protection rate.
The increase in cases and concerns about vaccination rates come amid policy shifts and discussions surrounding childhood immunizations. An executive order signed by President Donald Trump calls for a review of childhood vaccination schedules and suggests splitting the MMR vaccine into three separate doses. Public health professionals have voiced concerns that such changes could create confusion regarding the established safety and efficacy of the current vaccine regimen and may incur additional costs. These actions followed efforts by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to alter U.S. vaccine policies, some of which were later blocked by a federal judge.
The U.S. is currently at risk of losing its measles-eliminated status, a determination that will be made by a panel in November. Canada previously lost its measles-eliminated status in the past year.