Pennsylvania health officials on Wednesday confirmed a sixth measles-associated death in the state this year, as the largest measles outbreak in the United States in decades continues to spread. The latest death was an unvaccinated resident of Jefferson County who tested positive for measles, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said. The state has now recorded 1,467 confirmed cases across 45 counties in 2026, including 283 hospitalisations, making it the epicentre of a national resurgence that has reached 4,852 confirmed cases across the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The death comes days after New York reported its first measles-associated death in more than 30 years — a child in Lewis County — and as federal and state health authorities disagree publicly over how many Americans have actually died of measles this year. The outbreak, concentrated in communities with large numbers of unvaccinated people, is the nation's worst measles resurgence in decades, according to Reuters.
What Pennsylvania confirmed
The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced on 4 November that an unvaccinated Jefferson County resident who tested positive for measles had died. It declined to release further details, citing privacy laws. It is the sixth death the state has classified as measles-associated in 2026.
The six people whose deaths Pennsylvania has classified as measles-associated lived in Jefferson, Lancaster and Mifflin counties — largely rural counties. Three were residents of Lancaster County, two lived in Jefferson County, including the person announced on Wednesday, and one lived in Mifflin County. Several of the deaths were in adults.
The Washington Post, citing the funeral home director who handled the arrangements, reported that the latest death was a 21-year-old woman from the Amish community who died on 30 September after complications following a home birth. Her death certificate listed multisystem organ failure, postpartum haemorrhage, acute liver failure and suspected measles, the director said. The baby, her first child, is healthy and is being cared for by the woman's family.
State officials said on Wednesday they have not classified another death — a 30-year-old unvaccinated woman reported last month by the Franklin County coroner — as measles-associated. The health department said its investigation has not found that case meets the state's definition, which requires a death within 30 days of symptom onset in someone with clinical evidence of measles and a positive laboratory test, with no unrelated cause of death.
The national picture
The outbreak extends well beyond Pennsylvania. New York's health department announced on 2 November that a child in Lewis County had died in connection with the state's ongoing measles outbreak — the first known measles-associated death in New York in more than 30 years. The child died at the family's home, according to New York state and local officials, who did not disclose the child's age or vaccination status. As of 24 October, New York had reported 178 measles cases this year, including 170 outside New York City and eight in the city. All 15 confirmed cases in Lewis County have been in unvaccinated people.
Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state disaster emergency on 5 October in response to the growing number of cases in New York and neighbouring states.
"This is New York's first measles-related death in 30 years, a devastating reminder of what's at stake when Washington deliberately erodes decades of progress in protecting Americans from preventable illnesses." — Governor Kathy Hochul, in a statement
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania cases in 2026 | 1,467 across 45 counties | Pennsylvania Department of Health, 4 Nov |
| Pennsylvania hospitalisations | 283 | Pennsylvania Department of Health, 4 Nov |
| Pennsylvania measles-associated deaths | 6 | Pennsylvania Department of Health, 4 Nov |
| New York cases in 2026 | 178 (as of 24 Oct) | New York State Department of Health |
| New York measles-associated deaths | 1 | New York State Department of Health, 2 Nov |
| Confirmed cases nationwide | 4,852 (as of 29 Oct) | CDC |
| Measles deaths listed by CDC | 4 | CDC, updated 4 Nov |
Measles in pregnancy — a particular concern
The circumstances of the Pennsylvania woman's death come as doctors and state health officials have sought more guidance from federal health authorities about measles during pregnancy — a condition that had been so rare in the United States in recent years that many clinicians have little experience recognising or managing it.
Pennsylvania issued its own statewide health alert last month after 77 pregnant women had been diagnosed with measles since the state's outbreak began in late April. Officials warned doctors to immediately report suspected infections and highlighted the risks to mothers and babies. Measles during pregnancy can cause serious illness in the mother and increase the risk of pregnancy loss, premature birth and low birth weight. The virus can also pass to a foetus and cause congenital measles.
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, meaning the virus was no longer spreading continuously within the country. Cases since then have come from travellers bringing the virus in — but it can spread fast in under-vaccinated communities. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles, according to the CDC.
Scientists at the CDC sought about a month ago to issue an urgent nationwide alert about the risks of measles during pregnancy and provide guidance to clinicians, the Washington Post previously reported. The alert was not approved, for reasons that remain unclear. CDC scientists have instead been preparing a scientific report that would provide the first national accounting of measles during pregnancy in the current resurgence. It remains unclear when or where that report will be published.
Why the death counts do not agree
There is an unresolved discrepancy over the national measles death count. The CDC updated its website on Wednesday to list four measles deaths in 2026. Pennsylvania has confirmed six deaths and New York has confirmed one — seven between the two states alone.
The gap follows a policy shift under US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: the CDC switched to using mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics to track measles deaths, replacing its earlier reliance on state health departments' figures. The CDC says it is working with state epidemiologists to develop a standardised definition for reporting deaths caused by measles. Until that definition is agreed, state and federal counts will keep disagreeing — and neither number should be quoted as the definitive national toll.
The Department of Health and Human Services said it was saddened by the latest death and noted that the CDC had deployed additional support to work alongside state and local health officials. The CDC has provided Pennsylvania with nearly $4 million in one-time emergency funding to support the response through most of 2027, and a CDC disease investigator has been working with Pennsylvania health officials since last month, helping the state use advanced epidemiological modelling to estimate the true extent of the outbreak. That assignment, originally expected to end earlier, was extended through Friday.
"We are saddened to learn of this death in Pennsylvania." — Emily Hilliard, spokeswoman for the US Department of Health and Human Services
What we know
- Pennsylvania has confirmed six measles-associated deaths in 2026, the latest an unvaccinated Jefferson County resident, announced 4 November.
- The state has recorded 1,467 confirmed cases across 45 counties and 283 hospitalisations this year.
- New York has confirmed one measles-associated death — a child in Lewis County, announced 2 November — its first in more than 30 years.
- Nationally, the CDC counts 4,852 confirmed cases as of 29 October, the worst US measles resurgence in decades.
- The CDC has deployed staff and nearly $4 million in emergency funding to support Pennsylvania's response.
What we don't know yet
- How large the Pennsylvania outbreak truly is — CDC modelling is still estimating the extent, and case counts are updated as new infections are confirmed.
- Whether the Franklin County death reported by the coroner in October will ultimately be classified as measles-associated.
- When the CDC will publish its scientific report on measles during pregnancy, or whether the urgent clinical alert will be issued.
- When state and federal authorities will agree a standardised definition for counting measles deaths.
Frequently asked questions
How bad is this outbreak compared with previous years?
It is the worst measles resurgence in the United States in decades. Pennsylvania alone has recorded 1,467 cases this year, and the CDC counts 4,852 confirmed cases nationwide as of 29 October. Before this resurgence, measles deaths in the US were rare — New York had not recorded one in more than 30 years.
Who is most at risk?
Unvaccinated people, above all. Every confirmed case in Lewis County, New York, has been in an unvaccinated person, and the Pennsylvania deaths have involved unvaccinated residents. Pregnant women are a particular concern: 77 have been diagnosed with measles in Pennsylvania since late April, and the virus can cause serious illness in the mother and harm the baby.
Why do the CDC and the states report different death tolls?
They are counting differently. The CDC now tracks measles deaths using mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics, while states classify deaths using their own definitions — Pennsylvania's requires a death within 30 days of symptom onset, clinical evidence of measles and a positive laboratory test. The CDC says it is working with state epidemiologists on a standardised definition.
Is the measles vaccine effective?
Yes. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles, according to the CDC. Health departments in both Pennsylvania and New York are offering the vaccine to unvaccinated people who request it and urging anyone unsure of their status to check their records.
What should people in affected areas do?
Check vaccination records, especially for children and anyone who is pregnant or planning a pregnancy, and contact a doctor promptly if measles symptoms appear — typically a high fever, cough, runny nose and a red rash. State health departments have asked doctors to report suspected infections immediately.
Key takeaways
- Pennsylvania has confirmed its sixth measles-associated death of 2026 — an unvaccinated Jefferson County resident — as the state's outbreak reaches 1,467 cases.
- New York has recorded its first measles death in more than 30 years, a child in Lewis County, amid 178 cases statewide.
- The US is experiencing its worst measles resurgence in decades, with 4,852 confirmed cases nationally as of 29 October.
- State and federal death counts disagree — Pennsylvania and New York together confirm seven deaths, while the CDC lists four — because the CDC changed how it counts measles deaths.
- Measles in pregnancy is a growing concern: 77 pregnant women have been diagnosed in Pennsylvania since late April.
What to watch next: Pennsylvania's health department updates its measles dashboard as new cases are confirmed, and the CDC's modelling work with the state is expected to give a clearer picture of the outbreak's true size. The CDC's promised report on measles during pregnancy — and whether the urgent clinical alert is ever issued — will be the next test of the federal response. BreakingHour will update this article as confirmed figures change.
