Pennsylvania reports sixth measles death as U.S. cases top 4,000
Pennsylvania has reported a sixth death in its measles outbreak, a 39-year-old woman in Franklin County who was not vaccinated. The state has recorded 1,137 cases. Nationwide, more than 4,000 cases have been confirmed this year, and some health officials say the spread is driving more people to get the MMR vaccine.
A sixth person has died in Pennsylvania's measles outbreak, The Guardian reported. The latest death was reported in Franklin County on Monday. The county coroner said the victim was a 39-year-old woman who "had several underlying conditions, including a past diagnosis of measles with treatment." A spokesperson for the coroner's office said she was not vaccinated, The Guardian reported.
State officials said on Monday that Pennsylvania had recorded 1,137 cases and 219 hospitalizations, according to The Guardian. The outbreak began in April, and officials have blamed low vaccination rates. The state saw 157 new cases over the last week. About one-third of cases have been in people 18 or under, and fewer than 1% were in people who were fully vaccinated.
Across the country, more than 4,000 cases have been confirmed, ABC News reported. ABC said it is the most cases and deaths in the country in more than three decades. The CDC website, last updated on Friday, shows 4,080 confirmed cases in 42 outbreaks, The Guardian reported. The CDC still lists two deaths nationwide, amid a dispute over how measles deaths are counted, the paper said.
Some health officials told ABC News the outbreak is pushing more people to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. "We have seen increased interest in the MMR vaccine since the start of the outbreak," said Lindsay Pringle of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health. In Chester County, health workers now go to homes and businesses when groups ask for shots. The county's health director said they have vaccinated as many as 67 people in one location, ABC reported.
Utah has recorded 724 cases since its outbreak began in June 2025, ABC News reported. One Utah health officer said March 2026 saw a 500% increase in children getting the MMR vaccine compared with March 2025.
What we know: Pennsylvania has reported six measles deaths and more than 1,100 cases, and U.S. cases have passed 4,000.
What we don't: Whether the CDC will add the newer deaths to its national count, and how many more cases are coming.
Where outlets agree The Guardian and ABC News both report that more than 4,000 measles cases have been confirmed in the U.S. and that Pennsylvania has passed 1,100 cases.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.