Two unvaccinated people die of measles in Pennsylvania outbreak, health officials say

Two unvaccinated people have died of measles in Pennsylvania's Lancaster County, the state's health department confirmed Tuesday.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen declined to give any additional information about the deaths during a media briefing, citing patient confidentiality.

They are the first measles-related deaths in the U.S. this year and the first in Pennsylvania in 35 years.

Lancaster County has seen the majority of measles cases in the state's growing outbreak. As of Tuesday, 393 cases have been confirmed in the state; 86 of them were diagnosed in the past week.

So far, 70 people have been hospitalized in Pennsylvania for measles complications.

"These tragic deaths remind us that measles is not a harmless illness," Dr. Jeffrey Martin, a physician at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital, said during the briefing, which was held at Lancaster General Health's Women & Babies Hospital.

"It's appropriate that we're having this press conference at our Women and Babies Hospital. Pregnant women and children are vulnerable to measles if they are not vaccinated," he said.

Officials declined to answer a question about whether the deaths involved either a pregnant woman or a baby.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order meant to drive down the number of vaccines recommended for children. The move, which was backed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., drew sharp criticism from pediatricians and public health experts.

Kennedy has a history of anti-vaccine rhetoric and, according to local reporting in 2021, was a keynote speaker at an event in Lancaster County in which he said, without citing scientific evidence, that vaccines are harmful.

During Tuesday's media briefing, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Kennedy had called him to offer resources to assist in the outbreak response. Shapiro said he declined the offer.

"I was very, very blunt with him, and I made very clear that his actions and the rhetoric that's coming from this administration are having a negative impact on communities across America, particularly right here in Pennsylvania," Shapiro said. "There's real-life consequences to scaring people and not relying on actual doctors and actual medical professionals to provide unbiased information to parents."

In a statement, HHS and CDC expressed condolences to the families and communities affected by the measles deaths. "CDC is working closely with state and local health departments to strengthen response efforts, rapidly support affected communities across the state, and communicate the steps people can take to slow the spread of measles," the statement said.

The grim news comes at a time when more parents than ever are actively avoiding vaccines for their children. During the 2025-26 school year, 4.2% of kindergartners, about 155,000 kids, had at least one vaccine exemption, up from 3.6% the previous school year, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The number of kids getting the MMR vaccine in Lancaster County, too, has been falling steadily, from 95.5% in 2017 to 87.6% in 2025.

Kindergarten MMR vaccination rates in Pennsylvania

Doctors say 95% is the level necessary for herd immunity.

This is a color-coded map of MMR vaccination rates in Pennsylvania. Lancaster County, where two people just died of measles, has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the states, at 88.5%. Overall, 17 of the states' 67 counties have rates at or above 95%, the level doctors say is necessary for herd immunity.

Notes: As of the 2024-25 school year. Source: Pennsylvania Department of Health. Graphic: Joe Murphy / NBC News

According to the CDC, 2,777 measles cases have been reported nationwide this year, the highest number in 35 years. As of Aug. 20, 193 people with measles, about 7% of cases, had been hospitalized this year. The majority of infected people are unvaccinated.

More than 900 measles cases have been counted in the U.S. since May, with Pennsylvania accounting for more than a third of those new cases.

Three people died of measles last year: an adult in New Mexico, and two young girls in Texas.

The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, given in two doses around age 1 and age 5, offers 97% protection against measles, usually for life. Children as young as 6 months are eligible for an early, extra dose of the MMR vaccine during outbreaks.

"When enough eligible individuals receive the vaccine, the entire community develops a level of immunity that protects our most vulnerable, including babies who are too young to be vaccinated," Dr. Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, wrote in a statement. "I encourage all parents and caregivers to talk with your pediatrician and ask if your child is up-to-date on their MMR vaccine."