Pennsylvania's measles outbreak worsens as cases reach 903, prompting hospitalizations of 176 people. A political dispute emerges between Governor Josh Shapiro and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the state's four reported deaths, which the CDC has not fully reflected in its national tally of two deaths. The surge represents the worst U.S. measles resurgence in decades, threatening the nation's elimination status.
Pennsylvania measles case statistics
- ▪Lancaster County remains the hardest-hit area in Pennsylvania during the measles outbreak that surpassed 900 cases in 2026, recording the highest number of cases in Pennsylvania
- ▪The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported that Pennsylvania's total measles cases reached 903 on Monday, September 28, 2026, after recording 115 new infections over the preceding week
- ▪Pennsylvania is currently reporting the highest total number of measles cases in the United States, followed by South Carolina and Utah
Pennsylvania hospitalizations and demographics
- ▪Less than 1 percent of Pennsylvania's 903 measles cases in 2026 occurred in fully vaccinated individuals, while approximately 31 percent of cases occurred in people under the age of 18
- ▪The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported that 176 measles patients had been hospitalized during Pennsylvania's 903-case measles outbreak, an increase from 164 hospitalizations reported on September 23, 2026
Measles-associated deaths
- ▪Pennsylvania first reported two infant measles-associated deaths in late August 2026 and added two more deaths in mid-September 2026 among unvaccinated residents
- ▪No other U.S. state besides Pennsylvania has recorded a measles death in 2026
Discrepancy in death reporting
- ▪Pennsylvania has officially reported four measles-associated deaths in 2026, whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention national tally only listed one death as of Monday, September 28, 2026
- ▪The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention departed from typical practice of accepting a state's own reported death counts by not immediately including all four of Pennsylvania's reported measles deaths in its weekly national tally
- ▪The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reviewing how it classifies measles-related deaths following the discrepancy in death counts with Pennsylvania's reported fatalities
National measles death tracking
- ▪Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Emily Hilliard stated that the National Center for Health Statistics verified the second measles death added to the CDC's national tally after receiving a report from a state
- ▪The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its national measles tally on Monday, September 28, 2026, to include a second verified death for the year 2026
Measles elimination status
- ▪Canada lost its measles elimination status in 2025, according to reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- ▪The United States' measles elimination status, established in 2000, is scheduled for reevaluation during a November 2026 meeting with the Pan American Health Organization
Debatable claims
- ▪The 2026 outbreak justifies stripping the United States of its measles elimination status
- ▪The CDC should accept state-reported public health data without independent federal verification
Story comments
Loading comments…