Two people have died from measles in Pennsylvania, marking the first such deaths in the U.S. this year, the state’s health department announced Tuesday.
Both individuals, whose identities and ages were not released, were unvaccinated.
In addition to being the first measles deaths of 2026, the two deaths are also the first in Pennsylvania in 25 years.
“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.”
A measles resurgence
The deaths come as the U.S. continues to experience a measles resurgence the country hasn’t seen since the 1990s.
As Straight Arrow previously reported, the U.S. recorded more than 2,000 measles cases in 2025, the highest number since 1992. It was also the most widespread transmission since the disease was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000.
As of Aug. 20, 2026, the U.S. has surpassed the 2,000 threshold once again, with 2,777 reported cases, according to the CDC. Those cases were reported across 47 jurisdictions.
The CDC reports 36 new outbreaks in 2026, with 94% of confirmed cases stemming from an outbreak.
The continued transmission has also put the U.S. at risk of losing the measles elimination status it has held since 2000. Elimination doesn’t mean a country has zero measles cases; it means the virus has not continuously spread domestically for 12 months or longer. Losing that designation would therefore signal that measles has once again established sustained transmission in the U.S.
“Losing that distinction is an embarrassment for the United States,” John Swartzberg, a professor at the University of California Berkeley, told the L.A. Times. “It’s another nail in the coffin for the credibility of this country.”
Ralph Abraham, who briefly served as the CDC’s principal deputy director between mid-December 2025 and February 2026, said earlier this year that he was not concerned about losing elimination status because new federal guidelines have given Americans more choice regarding vaccination.
“It’s just the cost of doing business,” he said, suggesting that international travel spreads measles. But the CDC has recorded zero measles cases among international visitors so far this year. In 2025, there were 25 cases among foreigners in the U.S., about 1% of all cases.
“We have these communities that choose to be unvaccinated,” Abraham said. “That’s their personal freedom.”
What’s causing the surge?
Officials say vaccination gaps are driving the rise.
Of the 2025 cases, 93% involved people who were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. As for 2026, that number is 94%.
This comes as the U.S. sees a rise in childhood vaccine exemptions. As Straight Arrow previously reported, exemptions from routine childhood vaccines have reached an all-time high.
The CDC says the percentage of kindergartners who received the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine dropped to 92.4%.
The number is below the pre-pandemic rate of 95%, which is also the threshold doctors say is needed to maintain herd immunity.
Measles deaths are rare, but the disease is not harmless. Pennsylvania health officials estimate that about three deaths occur for every 1,000 measles cases. Infection can also cause serious complications, including pneumonia and brain swelling. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective at preventing measles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One dose is 93% effective.
Administration changes
The resurgence comes as the Trump administration pushes to reshape federal childhood vaccine policy. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to be split into three separate shots. Medical groups pushed back, saying there is no evidence that separating the vaccines makes them safer. Individual measles, mumps and rubella vaccines also aren’t currently licensed in the U.S.
Trump’s order does not automatically change which vaccines children need to attend school. As Straight Arrow has previously reported, federal vaccine recommendations are guidelines, while states generally set vaccination requirements for schools, daycares and other programs. Changes to federal recommendations can still have broader consequences, however, influencing doctors’ guidance, insurance coverage, federal vaccine programs and potentially state policies.
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