Curie Brief
Turn on cookies to sign in
Signing in saves your progress to your Curie account. We can only do that with cookies on — turn them on to continue.
News
Pennsylvania has now recorded four measles-associated deaths in 2026 — including an 18-year-old who died from a rare neurological complication and a 40-year-old woman — all in unvaccinated individuals. The state leads the nation with 693 confirmed cases, the worst outbreak in over three decades. Experts warn the coming winter could bring even more illness and death, especially with large numbers of unvaccinated children back in school.
Pennsylvania's measles outbreak has turned deadly — four times over. The state confirmed its third and fourth measles-associated deaths this year: a 40-year-old Jefferson County woman who died September 12 from respiratory failure, and an 18-year-old Mifflin County resident who died from acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, a rare and severe neurological complication of measles. All four deaths involved unvaccinated individuals. The two earlier fatalities in August were infants in Lancaster County.
With 693 confirmed cases — the highest in the U.S. in 2026 — Pennsylvania is at the epicenter of the nation's worst measles resurgence in more than three decades. Infectious disease experts warn the situation could get significantly worse heading into winter, when measles historically surges, with large numbers of unvaccinated children now back in school.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: The U.S. eliminated measles in 2000, but that status is now at serious risk. Declining vaccination rates, federal leadership gaps, and misinformation are fueling a crisis that experts say is entirely preventable with the MMR vaccine.
