State reports put US measles-associated deaths at 10 in 2026
Pennsylvania and Wisconsin reported new deaths Friday. The CDC has counted 5,412 confirmed cases this year, more than twice the total for all of 2025; its provisional federal death count has yet to incorporate every state report.
Health officials in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin each reported a measles-associated death on Friday, November 13. Together, the latest reports from those states and New York add up to 10 deaths associated with the disease in the United States this year. That total needs a qualification: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still lists a lower provisional national death count, subject to review and differences in how deaths are classified.
Pennsylvania's Department of Health said the person who died lived in Montour County, was unvaccinated and had tested positive for measles. It is the seventh death the state has classified as measles-associated in 2026. Pennsylvania has recorded 1,542 confirmed cases across 46 counties and 305 hospitalizations. The department withheld identifying details about the person.
Wisconsin has updated its figures to 651 cases, 14 hospitalizations and two deaths. The first death, announced on November 5, was an infant; officials have not released personal details about the second. New York's health department reported the death of a child in Lewis County on November 2. The three state tallies sum to 10, but that is not a finalized federal figure: the CDC website still shows six deaths and cautions that the number may change as reviews are completed.
Cases have more than doubled in a year
The CDC had recorded 5,412 confirmed US cases through November 12, compared with 2,289 during all of 2025. The agency says 96% of this year's cases are associated with outbreaks and has identified 43 new outbreaks in 2026. State figures may be more current because jurisdictions and the CDC publish on different schedules and conduct their own reviews.
The rise comes as MMR vaccination coverage among US kindergarteners has fallen from 95.2% in the 2019-20 school year to 92.4% in 2025-26, according to the CDC. The national average masks communities with substantially lower coverage, where an introduction of the virus can lead to sustained spread. Two vaccine doses are about 97% effective against measles, the agency says.
An international decision is still pending
A commission convened by the Pan American Health Organization is examining whether measles has circulated continuously for at least a year in the United States and Mexico. Its review will determine whether the countries retain their measles elimination status. Until PAHO formally announces a decision, it would be premature to say the United States has already lost that designation. Elimination refers to sustained transmission within a country; it does not mean imported cases cannot occur.
Measles is highly contagious and can cause serious complications. It often begins with fever, cough, a runny nose and red eyes before a rash appears. The CDC advises people who suspect exposure or illness to call a healthcare provider promptly for guidance and to avoid exposing others in a waiting room. It also recommends checking vaccination records. The latest state reports underscore the human toll of the outbreaks as federal death figures and the country's elimination status remain under review.
