Pennsylvania Measles Cases Pass 1,000 as State Reports Fifth Death of 2026
Pennsylvania health officials reported 1,004 confirmed measles cases as of Oct. 5, with 106 new cases in the past week and five measles-associated deaths this year, the most of any state.
Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak has passed 1,000 confirmed cases, according to figures the state Department of Health reported on Oct. 5, as the commonwealth continues to record the largest share of the nation’s infections this year.
The department put the statewide total at 1,004 confirmed cases, including 106 new cases counted over the past seven days. Pennsylvania leads the country in measles cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and it is the only state to report measles-associated deaths in 2026. The fifth such death was reported on Sept. 30.
Cases concentrated in a handful of counties
Most infections remain concentrated in Lancaster County, which had 391 confirmed cases as of Oct. 5, followed by Mifflin County with 118 and Chester County with 84, according to the state health department. State officials list confirmed community transmission in 12 counties, including Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Indiana, Jefferson, Snyder, Somerset, Union and York, in addition to Lancaster, Mifflin and Chester.
Of all confirmed cases, more than 99 percent occurred in people who were not fully vaccinated, the department said. A total of 198 people had been hospitalized as of Oct. 5, and 32 percent of infections were in people under 18. None of the five people who died were vaccinated, according to the health department, and officials said the deaths were the first measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania in about 35 years.
No confirmed cases yet in Allegheny County
Allegheny County, home to Pittsburgh, had no confirmed cases among residents as of Oct. 5, although patients at UPMC Children’s Hospital were exposed during visits by infected people from outside the county in August, according to the county health department. Nearby Armstrong County had two cases and Westmoreland County had two, while Butler County had one case diagnosed on Aug. 25 that had not yet appeared on the state dashboard as of Oct. 5.
Measles spreads through the air and can remain infectious for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area, according to the CDC, which notes that two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine provide about 97 percent protection. Health officials urge anyone who believes they were exposed and develops symptoms to contact a health care provider, and Pennsylvania residents can call the state health hotline or view the state measles dashboard for current guidance.
Reporting based on coverage by USA TODAY.
