The CDC reported its first measles death of 2026 but did not say where it happened, while Pennsylvania has reported four measles-associated deaths in August and September.
The agency added the death to its measles dashboard with a note that the figure “is subject to change” and that it will update its reporting “as additional information becomes available and relevant reviews are completed.” A Pennsylvania Department of Health spokesperson told NBC News the department did not know which of its deaths the CDC was counting.
The CDC also said it is working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to develop a standardized case definition for measles deaths.
The dispute comes down to definitions. Pennsylvania classifies a death as measles-associated when a person dies within 30 days of symptom onset and a positive test, even if measles was not the immediate cause.
Pennsylvania reported its first two deaths Aug. 25. Both were unvaccinated Lancaster County residents, and they were the state’s first measles deaths in 35 years. CDC Director Erica Schwartz, MD, then reportedly directed staff to leave both off the national tally. One was a newborn who tested positive but died of a ruptured spleen. The coroner’s office said the spleen showed no enlargement or inflammation. State officials countered that measles can inflame the spleen and make rupture more likely.
Two more deaths followed. A 40-year-old Jefferson County resident died Sept. 12, and an unvaccinated 18-year-old from Mifflin County died of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, a rare neurological complication of measles.
As of Sept. 17, the CDC counted 3,471 confirmed measles cases across 47 jurisdictions in 2026. That is 52% more than all of 2025, which had 2,289 cases and three deaths. Of this year’s cases:
- 95% were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status.
- 9% were hospitalized (301 patients).
- 95% were tied to outbreaks. There have been 39 new outbreaks this year.
- 38% were adults, up from 29% in 2025. Adults were hospitalized at a 12% rate.
