The total number of measles deaths in the United States this year rose to 10 on Friday, a grim milestone in an outbreak that has seen record numbers of infections and has prompted state and local health departments to step up vaccination efforts.
Pennsylvania and Wisconsin each reported one new measles-associated death Friday. The Wisconsin Department of Health said a child had died, but declined to release further information, citing the family’s privacy. The Pennsylvania Department of Health said its latest death was an unvaccinated Montour County resident who tested positive for measles.
The virus, the most contagious known to humans, can cause life-threatening complications, such as pneumonia or brain swelling, in unvaccinated people.
So far this year, Pennsylvania has reported seven deaths associated with measles, Wisconsin has reported two and New York has reported one. Prior to these deaths, no state had experienced a death from measles in more than 30 years.
About 5,400 cases of measles were recorded in the United States as of Thursday, more than double last year’s number and the highest since 1991. Public health experts attribute the outbreak to a sharp decline in measles vaccination rates coupled with a global resurgence of the virus.
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, meaning it no longer spreads continually, although there can be occasional outbreaks. The country now appears poised to lose that designation: The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), a group within the World Health Organization, met this week to determine whether the United States can still be considered measles-free. Their decision is expected to be announced on Tuesday.
At the center of PAHO’s deliberations is the question of whether transmission has continued in the United States for a full year. Canada lost its elimination status last year after the agency determined the virus had been spreading there for at least 12 months.
Measles is already spreading widely enough in the United States to threaten infants who are not eligible for their first shot. At least four deaths this year involved babies too young to be vaccinated. In response to their outbreaks, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin recommend early dosing for infants aged 6 to 11 months who live in areas with high case numbers.
The first dose is usually given around the child’s first birthday and the second between 4 and 6 years of age. Two doses are 97% effective.
Nationally, 75% of counties and jurisdictions with measles vaccine data are below the 95% vaccination rate needed to prevent outbreaks, according to an NBC News investigation.
The proportion of kindergartners vaccinated against measles increased from 95% in the 2019-20 school year to 92% in the 2025-26 school year.
Gn Health
