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Pennsylvania records first measles deaths in 35 years

Aug 26, 2026, 6:45am EDT
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A signage stands outside a South Carolina Department of Public Health Mobile Health Unit in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Jayla Whitfield-Anderson/Reuters

Two people died from measles in Pennsylvania, the state’s first deaths from the disease in 35 years, with experts warning that figure could rise because of falling vaccination rates in the US.

While numerous academic studies have shown no connection between the measles vaccine and autism, anti-jab sentiment has festered in much of the West, leading to some of their biggest outbreaks in decades: The US, which in 2000 won the status of having eradicated the disease, has registered almost 3,000 cases in 2026.

Measles cases have likewise climbed in France, the Netherlands, and Spain, while the disease remains endemic in parts of Europe. ā€œWe have to learn from the mistakes of the United States,ā€ an expert said.

A chart showing US measles cases.
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