Four measles-related deaths have been reported in Pennsylvania — the first fatal cases of the disease in the state in 35 years. NBC News reported the cases, citing the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
All four deaths occurred in August amid an ongoing measles outbreak. The victims included two infants from Lancaster County, an 18-year-old resident of Mifflin County, and a 40-year-old woman from Jefferson County. The latter two had not been vaccinated against measles.
The 18-year-old died from complications of the infection, including a severe neurological condition accompanied by inflammation of the brain. The 40-year-old woman had asthma and severe lung disease.
Neither infant was eligible to receive the first dose of the measles vaccine, which is usually administered at around one year of age. In the case of the six-week-old infant, the coroner listed measles as the cause of death. The virus was detected in the newborn's lung tissue, but the immediate causes of death were considered internal bleeding and a traumatic rupture of the spleen.
According to Pennsylvania authorities, around 700 measles cases have been reported in the state this year, and 133 people have been hospitalized. Authorities have linked the outbreak to declining vaccination rates. Measles is extremely contagious, and when vaccination coverage falls below the level needed for community protection, the virus can spread rapidly among unvaccinated people.
However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have not yet confirmed any of the four deaths. As of now, the agency's website contains no data on measles deaths in the United States in 2026.
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