On Tuesday, Pennsylvania health officials reported the first two measles deaths in the state in 35 years, and the only two recorded in the U.S. so far in 2026, a year in which 2,777 cases have already been confirmed.
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The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported that both deceased individuals were unvaccinated and reiterated that the best protection is full immunization with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
The deceased were residents of Lancaster County, home to the oldest Amish community in the country, known for its religious and social practices that are largely isolated from the outside world.
State Health Secretary Debra Bogen warned that the public is unfamiliar with the severity of measles, given that the disease was virtually eradicated in the state for more than three decades.
So far in 2026, Pennsylvania has confirmed 393 cases in 28 counties. Nationally, the CDC reports 2,777 infections in 46 states and the District of Columbia, an increase of 211 infections from the previous week.
Ninety-four percent of those infected are unvaccinated, or their immunization status is unknown. As of August 20, the hardest-hit states are South Carolina (670 cases), Utah (526), and Pennsylvania (371).
The crisis is occurring amid a decline in childhood vaccination rates, leaving approximately 280,000 students at risk. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that reduced from 18 to 11 the diseases against which the federal government recommends vaccinating all children.
teleSUR: JP
Source: EFE
Source: teleSUR
