Key takeaways:
- Pennsylvania and Wisconsin each reported a measles-associated death Friday, bringing the number reported by US states this year to 10.
- The CDC listed six measles-related deaths in figures published Thursday but did not identify which states were included.
- More than 5,400 US measles cases have been reported this year, the most since 1991.
Pennsylvania and Wisconsin each reported a measles-associated death Friday, bringing the number reported by US states this year to 10. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed six measles-related deaths in figures published on its website Thursday, according to The Guardian, but did not identify which states were included.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said a child had died but withheld further details to protect the family’s privacy. Pennsylvania health officials said an unvaccinated Montour County resident who tested positive for measles had died. Pennsylvania has now reported seven measles-associated deaths this year, Wisconsin two and New York one, according to NBC News. Before this year, none of the three states had recorded a measles death in more than 30 years, NBC News reported.
The differing state and federal totals come amid the country’s largest measles outbreak since 1991. More than 5,400 cases have been reported nationwide, according to figures cited by NBC News and The Guardian. NBC News reported that the case total is more than double last year’s count.
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, meaning the virus was no longer spreading continuously in the country. That designation is now under review. The Pan American Health Organization, a group within the World Health Organization, met this week to determine whether measles has circulated continuously in the United States for a full year, NBC News reported. The outlet said a decision is expected Tuesday. Canada lost its elimination status last year after the organization found that measles had spread there for at least 12 months.
Measles can cause fatal complications, including pneumonia and swelling of the brain, particularly in unvaccinated people. At least four US deaths this year involved babies too young to receive their first routine measles shot, according to NBC News. In response to their outbreaks, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are recommending an early dose for infants ages 6 to 11 months who live in areas with high case counts.
Children normally receive their first measles vaccine dose around their first birthday and a second at ages 4 to 6. Two doses are about 97% effective. An NBC News investigation found that 75% of US counties and jurisdictions with available data fall below the 95% vaccination rate needed to prevent outbreaks. The share of kindergartners vaccinated against measles fell from 95% in the 2019-20 school year to 92% in 2025-26, NBC News reported.
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