Pa. Confirms Two More Measles Deaths, Toll Four
Pa. Confirms Two More Measles Deaths, Toll Four
The News
The Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed two more measles-associated deaths on Tuesday, both in unvaccinated people, pushing the state's 2026 total to four.
One of the dead lived in Mifflin County, the other in Jefferson County, the department said.
The Mifflin County coroner's office said its decedent was 18 years old. The Washington Post reported that the teen died of what the coroner called a "rare and severe" complication of measles.
All four of Pennsylvania's measles-related deaths this year were among unvaccinated individuals, according to PennLive, amid what it described as the largest current U.S. outbreak.
The Numbers
Four measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania in 2026. Nearly 700 people sickened in the state's outbreak, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Timeline
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Jefferson County coroner has called a "probable" case of measles the cause of a woman's death, as the state outbreak nears 700 cases.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health confirms two additional measles-associated deaths, one resident of Mifflin County and one of Jefferson County, both unvaccinated. The state toll reaches four.
The Mifflin County coroner's office, led by Coroner Andrea Alcalde, identifies its decedent as an 18-year-old.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats send a letter to the CDC demanding answers about the agency's refusal to accept Pennsylvania's reporting of two measles deaths.
Reactions
House Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee are pressing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over its refusal to accept Pennsylvania's reporting of two measles deaths — the first in the state in 35 years, The Hill reported.
Ranking member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.) sent the letter to the agency's new director, Erica Schwartz.
State health officials have framed the deaths as measles-associated and have emphasized that all four involved unvaccinated individuals.
What's Next
The CDC faces a written demand from House Democrats to explain why it has not accepted Pennsylvania's death reporting — a dispute over the federal count that is now the central open question in the outbreak.
Pennsylvania's case count, already near 700, continues to be updated by the state health department as the outbreak spreads.
Poll
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