Measles deaths in Pennsylvania are first in US in 2026

Two people in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, have died of measles, the first reported US measles deaths of 2026, local authorities said.

The Pennsylvania health department said the two residents had not been vaccinated. It said the deaths were the first from measles in the state in 35 years.

The United States has recorded more than 2,770 confirmed measles cases in 2026, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is above the 2,289 cases recorded in 2025. The previous annual high cited by the CDC was 9,643 cases in 1991.

Three people, including two children, died of measles in 2025, when the current outbreak began.

Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, but cases have risen in recent years. Early symptoms include fever, cough and runny nose, followed by a rash. The disease can cause pneumonia, brain inflammation, lasting damage or death.

Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, called the deaths heartbreaking and urged leaders to encourage measles, mumps and rubella vaccination to stop the spread of the disease.