The latest reports of measles in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin could jeopardize the country’s elimination status.
Published on November 14, 2026
Pennsylvania and Wisconsin announced one additional death associated with measles in each state, making for a total of 10 U.S. deaths linked to the disease this year.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported the death of an infant Friday, while the Pennsylvania Department of Health said its latest death was an unvaccinated patient who tested positive for measles.
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Pennsylvania recorded seven deaths associated with measles, while Wisconsin reported two. On November 2, New York State announced that a child had died. It was the first measles death recorded in the state in more than 30 years.
More than 5,400 confirmed cases of measles have been recorded in the United States to date, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Johns Hopkins University International Vaccine Access Center.
The number of confirmed cases in November 2026 is more than double the 2,289 confirmed cases reported in 2025.
The CDC has recorded six measles-related deaths, according to figures posted on its website. The newly reported data represents double the deaths recorded by the agency in 2025.
Dispute over death toll
The national death toll compiled by the CDC is lower than the number of measles-related deaths reported by state authorities.
US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr asked CDC director Erica Schwartz not to count the deaths in the official tally, saying there was no evidence they were associated with measles.
The federal tally of measles reports has been at the center of a dispute between Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Kennedy over how measles deaths are classified.
Pennsylvania, the state hardest hit by the outbreak, reports “measles-associated” deaths after a person with confirmed measles dies within 30 days of symptom onset, unless the death resulted from an unrelated event.
The CDC said it is working with the State Council and territorial epidemiologists to establish a standardized definition of measles deaths.
Infectious disease experts warn that the dispute over how to classify deaths puts the CDC at odds with a long-standing approach to tracking the consequences of measles.
Epidemiologists told Al Jazeera that tracking “measles-associated” deaths has long been a standard used by the World Health Organization and the CDC.
Measles elimination on the brink
Measles, a highly contagious virus, was officially declared eliminated in the United States in 2000.
The outbreak comes as vaccination coverage among kindergarten students in the United States has declined from 95.2% in the 2019-2020 school year to 92.4% in the 2025-2026 school year.
Local and state health departments have ramped up vaccination efforts.
Measles is preventable with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which provides about 97% protection after two doses.
As of Friday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health had recorded 1,542 confirmed cases this year, while Wisconsin had recorded 651.
Due to the current outbreak, the United States could lose its measles elimination status this week. Elimination status requires that the country in question be able to crush cases of measles transmission for 12 months or more.
Gn Health
