Overview
- Jefferson County Coroner Greg Furlong confirmed late Sunday that a 40-year-old woman died on Saturday, Sept. 12, from complications linked to suspected measles and that she was unvaccinated and had serious respiratory conditions.
- Pennsylvania has reported 676 confirmed measles cases in 37 counties and 124 hospitalizations this year while the U.S. has recorded more than 3,000 cases in 2026.
- The state health department said it is reviewing the Jefferson County case but the CDC says it was not notified and has not included Pennsylvania’s reported deaths in its national tally.
- The dispute over counting and cause-of-death records has become political, with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. questioning earlier state reports and state leaders defending their epidemiological definition.
- Public-health officials say the surge is driven by low MMR vaccination rates, infants and people with chronic conditions are most vulnerable, and the CDC has offered outbreak teams that Pennsylvania has not formally requested.