Measles cases in Pennsylvania reached 1,467 on Nov. 4, after state health officials confirmed a sixth death linked to the outbreak this year. The Pennsylvania Department of Health said the latest death involved an unvaccinated resident of Jefferson County who tested positive for measles. The department did not release the person’s age or cause of death.
The death is the second in Jefferson County. The six deaths this year involve three residents of Lancaster County, two from Jefferson County and one from Mifflin County, state officials said. They include an 18-year-old from Mifflin County who died of a rare and severe neurological complication of measles, NBC News reported.
The department said it was aware of reports of a Franklin County resident who died in October, but its investigation had not found evidence meeting the criteria to classify that death as measles-associated as of Nov. 4. Pennsylvania’s definition requires clinical evidence of measles infection and a positive laboratory test, with death occurring within 30 days of symptom onset.
Measles cases spread to 45 counties
Measles cases have now been confirmed in 45 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. The state recorded 34 new infections in the 48 hours before the Nov. 4 update, taking the total to 1,467. Hospitals have admitted 283 people with measles this year, close to one in five of those infected. Five of the cases were in people who had been vaccinated, less than 1 percent of the total.
Measles cases in the state have risen steadily since the outbreak began in late April, and it is now the state’s largest in three decades. It is also the largest measles outbreak in the country this year. Measles spreads through the air, and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that up to 90 percent of people without immunity who are exposed to the virus become infected.
The outbreak has put sustained pressure on hospitals and local health departments in the affected counties. The 283 hospital admissions cover patients who needed care for severe illness, and the state has kept its county-by-county dashboard updated as new infections are confirmed. Residents can find guidance on the state’s measles page at pa.gov/measles.
Measles cases and the federal count
The CDC counted 4,852 confirmed measles cases in the United States as of Oct. 29, the highest annual total since 1991. The cases were reported across 47 jurisdictions and were driven by 43 distinct outbreaks, according to CDC data. The agency said 96 percent of the cases nationwide were connected to outbreaks.
Pennsylvania accounts for close to a third of the national total, and its measles cases make up the largest share reported by any single state. The gap between the state and federal death counts has drawn attention. The CDC’s national tally lists three measles-related deaths this year, but it did not name the states where they occurred.
Reuters reported that the difference follows a change in how the CDC tracks measles deaths, with the agency now using mortality data certified through the National Center for Health Statistics rather than preliminary state tallies. The state and federal figures also cover different cutoff dates, which adds to the gap while the outbreak is still growing.
The United States achieved measles elimination status in 2000, which meant continuous endemic transmission had stopped for more than 12 months. The Pan American Health Organization has called a regional expert review meeting for Nov. 10 to 13, 2026, to evaluate the formal elimination status of member states.
Measles cases in vaccinated people stay rare
The small number of measles cases in vaccinated people, five out of 1,467, is less than 1 percent of the total. State officials have pointed to that figure in urging residents to make sure their vaccinations are up to date. The department continues to list new infections as they are confirmed, and the state has become the center of the national outbreak, accounting for a large share of the infections reported across the country, Reuters reported.
New York reported its first measles death in more than 30 years on Nov. 2, when a child in Lewis County died in connection with an outbreak there. The New York State Department of Health said the state had recorded 178 measles cases this year as of Oct. 24, with 170 outside New York City and eight in the city. Governor Kathy Hochul had declared a state disaster emergency in early October because of the outbreak.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it was saddened by the latest death in Pennsylvania, Reuters reported. The department continues to update its counts as new measles cases are confirmed, and its dashboard at pa.gov/measles carries the latest figures and guidance for residents.