A third person has died of measles in the US, health officials say

A 40-year-old unvaccinated woman in Pennsylvania has died from measles, marking the third reported death from the disease in the United States this year. Health officials confirmed the death occurred on Saturday due to complications from measles. The other two measles-related deaths also occurred in Pennsylvania earlier this year, involving unvaccinated individuals in Lancaster County. Measles, declared eliminated in the US in 2000, is a highly contagious and potentially deadly disease. As of the article's reporting, there have been 3,294 measles cases across more than 45 states in 2026, and 2,289 cases with three deaths in 2025.

Pennsylvania has reported a potential third death related to its ongoing measles outbreak, with a 40-year-old woman in Jefferson County dying on Saturday. This follows two previous infant deaths in August, one of whom had a genetic defect and the other who died from a ruptured spleen after contracting measles. Measles is highly contagious and can cause severe complications in people of all ages. As of last week, Pennsylvania had nearly 700 measles cases across 37 counties, with concentrations in Lancaster and Mifflin counties. This outbreak occurs amid a reported decline in childhood vaccination rates, with experts citing the vaccine's past success and vaccine skepticism as contributing factors.