Measles-associated deaths reach 10 in US after two more deaths reported
Measles-associated fatalities in the United States have reached 10 this year following newly confirmed deaths in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The latest victims include an infant in Wisconsin and an unvaccinated patient in Pennsylvania. Overall, Pennsylvania has logged seven deaths, Wisconsin two, and New York one—a child whose November 2 death marked the state's first measles fatality in over 30 years. Total infections have topped 5,400, more than doubling the 2,289 cases recorded in 2025, led by 1,542 cases in Pennsylvania and 651 in Wisconsin.
The rapid spread puts the nation's measles elimination status, maintained since 2000, in immediate jeopardy. Elimination requires interrupting viral transmission for 12 months or more. The resurgence coincides with declining childhood immunization; MMR vaccine coverage among kindergarteners slipped from 95.2 percent in 2019–2020 to 92.4 percent in 2025–2026.
The outbreak has also triggered a dispute between federal and state health officials. The CDC officially lists six deaths, trailing state tallies. US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr requested that CDC Director Erica Schwartz exclude the deaths from federal counts due to alleged lack of evidence, drawing pushback from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro over the definition of measles-associated fatalities.
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