Two Measles Deaths in Lancaster as U.S. Outbreak Tops 2,777 Cases

Overview

• Two unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania died of measles, marking the state's first measles deaths in 35 years and highlighting a concentrated cluster in that county.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded 2,777 confirmed U.S. cases in 2026, the highest annual total in decades and larger than the full 2025 count.
• Lancaster County accounts for roughly half of Pennsylvania's cases with about 185 infections and about 70 hospitalizations, straining local hospitals and prompting intensive case investigation and contact tracing.
• Health officials point to falling two-dose MMR coverage — about 87.6% in Lancaster and 93.2% statewide for kindergarteners — as the main driver of vulnerability, since two doses give roughly 97% protection and 95% coverage is needed for herd immunity.
• Public-health responses include hundreds of temporary clinics in Pennsylvania and expanded vaccination campaigns in São Paulo, Brazil, while experts warn politicized federal messaging has increased vaccine hesitancy and could prolong the outbreak.