PHILADELPHIA — Two unvaccinated individuals from Pennsylvania have died due to measles, marking the first measles-related fatalities in the U.S. this year.
The state health officials announced these deaths on Tuesday. They provided no additional information on the deceased, except that they were residents of Lancaster County, located to the west of Philadelphia.
“My deepest sympathies are with the loved ones who are facing this unimaginable loss,” expressed state Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen. “Given that measles was largely eradicated in the Commonwealth for over three decades, many people are unfamiliar with the disease and unaware of its potential severity.”
Over the past two years, the U.S. has experienced five measles-related deaths, exceeding the total reported over the previous three decades. This year marks the worst measles outbreak since 1991.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the current year has already seen 2,777 measles cases, surpassing the total reported in 2025.
In November, international health officials will convene to decide if both the U.S. and Mexico have lost their measles-free status. The U.S. had eliminated local transmission in 2000 through high vaccination rates, which have since dropped below the 95% threshold necessary to prevent outbreaks.
The rise in measles cases coincides with actions by President Donald Trump’s administration to reduce childhood vaccinations, driven by safety concerns that scientific research has deemed unfounded.
Trump recently signed an executive order for updated childhood vaccine guidelines. He also advocated for administering the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine as three separate shots at individual appointments.
Medical professionals have expressed concern that Trump and U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may be contributing to public confusion and vaccine hesitancy.
During a media briefing on Tuesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro mentioned his conversation with Kennedy, who offered federal health staff assistance. Shapiro declined, asserting that Pennsylvania’s health department could manage the situation independently.
“I was very direct with him,” Shapiro stated. “I made it clear that the actions and rhetoric from this administration are negatively affecting communities nationwide, especially in Pennsylvania.”
He further added: “There are real-world repercussions to instilling fear and not relying on qualified medical professionals to give parents unbiased information, allowing them to make informed decisions for their children.”
Federal health authorities did not immediately comment on the Pennsylvania deaths or Shapiro’s conversation with Kennedy.
Vaccination rates are declining nationwide
Dr. David Margolius, Cleveland’s health department director and a prominent figure in a coalition of major city health departments, noted that decades of extensive vaccinations made measles cases rare, leading many to underestimate the virus’s potential lethality.
He added that some Cleveland residents have shown annoyance with vaccine advocacy efforts.
“They question, ‘Is measles even deadly? Why is there so much emphasis on this? Why do you keep contacting me about it?’” he shared.
Margolius mentioned that the Trump administration has responded to outbreaks by offering support.
“However, preventing measles requires action before outbreaks occur,” he emphasized. “This involves clear, consistent, and highly visible messaging about the necessity of vaccinations.”
Recently released federal data indicates a slight decline in the U.S. kindergarten vaccination rate last year, with the exemption rate reaching an all-time high.
Lancaster County, a central area for Pennsylvania’s Amish community, a group sometimes hesitant to adopt modern medical practices like vaccines, reported that about 88% of kindergartners were up to date with their measles vaccines last school year, according to state data.
State officials reported nearly 400 measles cases in Pennsylvania this year.
The state has been actively promoting measles vaccinations as cases increase, with approximately 35,000 people vaccinated, up from the usual pace of about 25,000 per month, according to officials.
— Jonathan Poet and Mike Stobbe
Stobbe reported from New York.
