The US is now in the middle of a measles outbreak, with Pennsylvania currently experiencing the most cases. The Pennsylvania Department of Health said that as of October 16, there have been 1260 documented cases of measles and 5 deaths from measles in Pennsylvania this year, with a 6th death being investigated.
They also report that fewer than 1% of the cases had been vaccinated, and 33% were under 18 years old. Almost all of the cases occurred since April 2026. They additionally report that 9589 doses of the measles vaccine (MMR) have been given this year. Two doses aof the vaccine are needed for protection.
Bottom line: Get vaccinated! Especially scary complications of measles, which can be long-term, are death (about 1 to 3 out of every 1000 measles cases in children), and encephalitis (swelling of the brain) in about 1 out of every 1000 measles cases in children.
Excerpts from Oct. 13, 2026 in The Guardian: Pennsylvania announces sixth death in measles outbreak as case numbers rise
A sixth death has been announced in Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak, as new figures show cases in the state have risen above 1,100.
The most recent fatality was reported in Franklin county on Monday in a statement posted to Facebook by its coroner. The victim was identified as a 39-year-old female who “had several underlying conditions, including a past diagnosis of measles with treatment”.
Five other people have died after contracting measles since August in Pennsylvania, which state officials said on Monday had now recorded 1,137 cases and 219 hospitalizations. The outbreak began west of Philadelphia in April, with authorities blaming low vaccination rates.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), however, continues to list deaths nationally at two amid a dispute between the Trump administration’s health secretary, Robert F Kennedy, and Pennsylvania’s governor, Josh Shapiro, over the methodology for classifying measles-related fatalities.
The CDC’s website, last updated on Friday, shows 4,080 confirmed measles infections across the US in 42 separate outbreaks, the highest figures in decades, and almost double the number of cases for the whole of 2025.
Earlier in October, New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, declared an emergency because of rising case numbers in her state; while Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Utah have also seen significant increases.
Those state guidelines recommend two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine, or a combined MMRV vaccine including varicella (chickenpox) protection for children 12 and older.
The CDC website recommends the same vaccinations, but Kennedy – a longtime vaccine skeptic – has offered mixed messages. In March 2025, he questioned the effectiveness of the measles vaccine, saying people should be able “to make that choice for themselves” about whether to take it.