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News
Pennsylvania has recorded its fifth measles death this year — an unvaccinated Lancaster County resident — as the state's case count climbs to 943. Nationally, the CDC has confirmed 3,659 cases across 45 states and D.C. in 2026, the highest yearly total in 35 years. Falling vaccination rates, with kindergarten MMR coverage dropping below 95%, are fueling the spread.
Pennsylvania is now at the center of the worst measles outbreak in the U.S. in over three decades, reporting its fifth measles-related death — an unvaccinated Lancaster County resident — as the state's confirmed case count surpasses 943 across 39 counties. Nationally, the CDC has tallied 3,659 confirmed measles cases in 45 states and D.C. as of late September 2026, surpassing the 2,289 cases reported in all of 2025. Public health experts warn the true number of infections is likely several times higher, as many people with measles never seek medical care.
Declining vaccination rates are a key driver of the outbreak. Kindergarten MMR coverage has dropped from 95.2% in 2019–2020 to 92.4% in 2025–2026, leaving an estimated 280,000 kindergartners vulnerable. Nearly 95% of this year's cases involved unvaccinated individuals or those with unknown vaccination status.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, but the country is now on track to lose that status. With historically high case counts, falling vaccination rates, and winter — traditionally measles season — approaching, infectious disease experts are warning of even more illness and death ahead unless vaccination coverage is urgently restored.
