Key facts
- Pennsylvania has confirmed 1,004 measles cases this year.
- The current outbreak in Pennsylvania is the largest in over three decades.
- Five Pennsylvania residents have died from measles, with 198 hospitalizations.
- Lancaster County has reported 391 cases, the highest in the state.
- New York state declared a measles-related state of emergency with 108 cases.
- The US has seen 3,887 confirmed measles cases this year, the highest since 1991.
Pennsylvania has surpassed 1,000 measles cases this year, state health officials reported Monday, marking the largest outbreak in the state in more than three decades. The state has confirmed 1,004 cases, resulting in 198 hospitalizations and five deaths. Lancaster County, with significant Amish and Mennonite populations, has been the hardest hit with 391 cases.
Governor Josh Shapiro has expanded access to the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine in affected communities, urging residents to take the disease seriously. The state's figures are not included in current CDC counts due to a dispute between Shapiro and US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the classification of measles-related mortality.
Neighboring New York declared a state of emergency on Monday, citing 108 cases as of October 3. Ohio has also reported over 200 cases this year. The US is experiencing its worst year for measles since 1991, with the CDC reporting 3,887 confirmed cases nationwide as of October 1, along with the highest number of measles-associated deaths in decades. Outbreaks have also been reported in Texas and Utah.
Health officials attribute the current outbreak, which began west of Philadelphia in April, to declining vaccination rates. The US eliminated the domestic spread of measles in 2000, but vaccination rates have fallen below the 95% coverage needed to prevent outbreaks. International health officials are scheduled to meet in November to assess whether the US and Mexico have lost their measles-free status.