Pennsylvania has added 74 new measles infections to its ongoing outbreak count, the state Department of Health announced Wednesday. The update brings the cumulative number of cases in the state to 1,078 this year. Officials reported that at least 207 individuals have required hospitalization and five people have died.
Health authorities clarified that the recent figure does not signal a sudden spike in active transmission. More than 40 of the newly reported cases involve patients who fell ill over two weeks ago and are no longer infectious; these infections were simply confirmed and logged recently.
In response to the outbreak, the Department of Health has distributed more than 8,800 doses of the MMR vaccine through its own staff. Approximately 3,500 doses were given in August, with another 2,500 administered in September.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend two doses of the MMR vaccine, typically given between 12 and 15 months of age and again between 4 and 6 years old. According to the CDC, one dose provides 93% protection against measles, while two doses offer 97% effectiveness. Infants between 6 and 11 months who are traveling to or living in high-risk areas may receive an early third dose.
Vaccination coverage has shown signs of decline in recent years. Data indicates that during the 2025-2026 school year, 92.4% of kindergartners received the MMR vaccine, a drop from the 95.2% rate recorded in the 2019-2020 school year before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Good catch on the lag in reporting—40 cases aren’t new infections. Still, 1,000+ is alarming.
Horrifying that five people died from a preventable disease. We need to get vaccination rates back above 95% immediately.