Third Pennsylvania measles death this year prompts health officials' warning
A 40-year-old woman from Jefferson County died of measles complications, marking the state's third measles-related fatality this year.
Greg Furlong, the coroner for Jefferson County, confirmed that a 40-year-old woman from the rural area died on Saturday from complications linked to measles, calling it a heartbreaking loss. The coroner’s Facebook post did not reveal whether she had been vaccinated. This is Pennsylvania’s third measles-related death in 2026, following two infant fatalities in August, both too young for the routine first dose.
The state has logged 676 measles cases in 37 of its 67 counties, resulting in 124 hospital admissions and four cases among vaccinated individuals, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics reports no measles deaths nationwide for the year, highlighting a discrepancy. The deaths have sparked political tension between Governor Josh Shapiro and the Trump administration, which has disputed details of the earlier cases.
Why it matters
The death underscores that measles remains a serious health threat and highlights gaps in vaccination coverage.
How this story developed
- Aug 25 Two Unvaccinated Pennsylvanians Die from Measles, First Fatalities in 2026
- Aug 25 Senators Angela Alsobrooks and Raphael Warnock publicly called for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign.
- Aug 27 Letters reveal Robert F Kennedy Jr said his 2019 Samoa visit was to study the MMR vaccine, contradicting his Senate testimony that it had nothing to do with vaccines.
- Aug 27 Lancaster County coroner said the infant’s death was classified as measles‑associated rather than a direct measles death.
- Aug 28 Senator Ron Wyden publicly called for a DOJ criminal investigation of Secretary Kennedy, and Kennedy’s remarks on Pennsylvania measles deaths were criticized by Governor Josh Shapiro.
- Aug 29 Case count rose to 460 with infections in 31 counties.
- Aug 31 The CDC publicly questioned the state's reporting of the deaths on social media.
- Sep 1 New reporting highlights that measles can cause immune amnesia, potentially obscuring additional deaths beyond those directly attributed to the disease.
- Sep 1 CDC removed the two Pennsylvania deaths from its national measles mortality count pending further review.
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