Two unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania have died of measles. State health officials confirmed the deaths on Tuesday, August 25. Officials called them the first confirmed Pennsylvania measles outbreak deaths in 35 years, and the first measles deaths recorded anywhere in the US in 2026. Pennsylvania has now confirmed 393 measles cases. Health workers diagnosed 86 of those in just the past week. Hospitals have treated 70 people for complications. The deaths land amid the country’s worst measles year in more than three decades: the US had confirmed 2,777 cases nationwide as of August 20.
What happened in Lancaster County
Pennsylvania’s health department said both people who died were unvaccinated. Officials called the deaths the first in Pennsylvania linked to measles in 35 years. The department withheld further identifying details about the two residents, citing standard privacy practice around individual health cases.
Inside the Pennsylvania measles outbreak deaths this week
State health officials confirmed the deaths on Tuesday. They called them the first confirmed measles-related fatalities recorded in the United States in 2026. Pennsylvania hasn’t recorded a measles death in 35 years. That makes Lancaster County’s outbreak the state’s most severe in a generation.
How the outbreak reached nearly 400 cases
Pennsylvania had confirmed 393 measles cases as of Tuesday. Health workers diagnosed 86 of those in the past week alone — a pace that suggests the outbreak is still accelerating. Hospitals have treated 70 people statewide for measles complications since the outbreak began.
The national measles picture in 2026
The Pennsylvania cluster sits inside a larger national surge. The US had confirmed 2,777 measles cases in 2026 as of August 20 — the highest annual count in 35 years. The CDC says it is “working closely with state and local health departments to strengthen response efforts, rapidly support affected communities across the state, and communicate the steps people can take to slow the spread of measles.”
Why vaccination rates matter here
Public health officials have long said outbreaks this size rarely happen in communities with high MMR vaccine coverage. Two doses of the vaccine give strong, durable protection against measles. Lancaster County’s outbreak has concentrated heavily among unvaccinated people, matching a pattern seen in several other clusters across the country this year. Officials keep urging families who are unsure of their vaccination status to check with a healthcare provider rather than wait for symptoms. Measles spreads through the air, and it can linger in a space for a period after an infected person leaves. That’s part of why health departments move fast to trace contacts once a case is confirmed.
What happens after these deaths
Pennsylvania’s health department continues to work with the CDC on containment. That includes case tracing and public messaging about vaccination. New cases keep appearing daily, and hospitalizations already stand at 70 statewide. Officials haven’t said when they expect the outbreak to peak. Case counts will likely keep climbing before any slowdown becomes visible.
How this outbreak compares with past years
Public health researchers have tracked measles case counts across the US for decades. This year’s national total, 2,777 cases as of August 20, already stands well above what health departments recorded in most recent years combined. Pennsylvania’s cluster is one of several driving that national number upward in 2026. Officials have not pointed to a single cause behind the broader surge. They consistently link outbreak size to local vaccination coverage, though. Health departments in neighboring states are watching Pennsylvania’s numbers closely. Outbreaks in one state can spread quickly to bordering communities when travel and school schedules bring people into contact. The state health department has not announced new school-based measures tied specifically to this outbreak, but officials have said they will keep monitoring case growth closely as the new school year begins.
Measles outbreak: frequently asked questions
Were the people who died vaccinated?
No. Pennsylvania health officials said both people who died of measles in Lancaster County were unvaccinated.
How many measles cases has Pennsylvania confirmed?
393 cases as of Tuesday, August 25, including 86 diagnosed in the previous week alone.
Is this the first US measles death in 2026?
Yes. State and national health officials say these are the first confirmed measles-related deaths in the United States this year.
How many measles cases has the US recorded overall in 2026?
2,777 confirmed cases nationwide as of August 20 — the highest count in 35 years.
Is measles contagious?
Yes. Public health agencies including the CDC describe measles as one of the most contagious viruses known. It spreads easily among unvaccinated people in close contact.
What is the CDC doing about the outbreak?
The CDC says it is working with Pennsylvania’s state and local health departments on response efforts and public messaging about vaccination and prevention.
What families in the outbreak area are being told
Pennsylvania’s health department has directed its outreach mainly at people in and around Lancaster County, where most cases have concentrated. Officials are encouraging anyone with an uncertain vaccination history to get checked before symptoms appear rather than after. That guidance mirrors standard CDC recommendations issued during measles outbreaks nationwide, not a new policy created specifically for this cluster. Local clinics and pharmacies in the affected area typically see a rise in vaccination requests once an outbreak draws wide public attention, a pattern health officials hope repeats here.
