BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Measles has killed two people in Pennsylvania this month, the state's first deaths from the disease in 35 years.
Both were unvaccinated Lancaster County residents, the state Health Department said Tuesday. Officials released no further details about them.
The deaths land in the middle of the worst measles outbreak Pennsylvania has seen since 1992: 393 cases across 29 counties this year, including 86 in the past week alone. Nearly a third of those cases are in children, and roughly one in five people who've caught measles in Pennsylvania this year have ended up hospitalized.
"This is a serious and a growing problem across the country and right here in our commonwealth," Gov. Josh Shapiro said Tuesday, calling the deaths "completely preventable."
Nearly 20% of people who have contracted measles in Pennsylvania have been hospitalized, according to the Department of Health.
Shapiro called measles and the deaths “completely preventable,” pointing to vaccination as the best protection against the virus.
What to know about measles
Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases. It spreads when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. The virus can remain infectious in the air and on surfaces for as long as two hours after an infected person leaves an area.
Early symptoms can look like other respiratory illnesses and include:
- Fever
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Red, watery eyes
A rash typically develops several days later, beginning on the head and spreading downward.
Symptoms can appear 7 to 21 days after exposure.
Measles also can cause serious complications, including pneumonia and swelling of the brain. About one in five people who contract measles are hospitalized, according to the state Department of Health.
How effective is the measles vaccine?
The measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine is the primary protection against the disease.
The Department of Health says two doses provide about 97% protection against measles.
Shapiro said Pennsylvania health care providers administered about 35,000 MMR doses statewide over the past month as residents responded to the outbreak.
The Department of Health says its staff have administered more than 4,100 MMR vaccines in 2026 and held 91 pop-up vaccination clinics statewide. More than 1,000 doses have been administered through those efforts in Lancaster County.
More than 40 additional vaccination clinics are scheduled this week and in the coming weeks.
The MMR vaccine is available across Pennsylvania through pediatric office, primary care providers, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural Health Centers, the Vaccines for Children program, pharmacies, county or municipal health departments, or PA's 59 state health centers.
“If someone with measles walks into a room with 100 people in it, none of whom are vaccinated, 90 of those people are at high risk of walking out with measles,” Shapiro said. “If that same person walks into a room with 100 people who are fully vaccinated, the only person walking out with measles is that person.”
MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccines are available at in-store pharmacies at Giant, Wegmans, CVS, Walgreens and more.
The Bethlehem Health Bureau also is offering immunizations.
What about the Lehigh Valley?
There have been two confirmed measles cases in the Lehigh Valley so far this year, both involving children in Lehigh County.
Neighboring counties have reported additional cases, including four in Berks County and three in Montgomery County. Chester County has reported 41 cases.
The state has designated Berks, Chester, Lancaster, York and several other counties as having community transmission.
Lehigh Valley Public Media has reached out to both St. Luke’s University Health Network and Lehigh Valley Health Network for any updated information on the disease, including whether physicians were seeing an increase in suspected cases or people seeking testing. St. Luke's said its guidance remained unchanged and urged people to get vaccinated, while LVHN had not responded as of publication.
It comes as many students across the region return to classrooms, including preschools, schools, childcare centers and institutions of higher education.
Health officials say people who believe they have been exposed and begin experiencing symptoms should contact a health care provider promptly. Because measles is highly contagious, calling ahead is important rather than simply walking into a doctor's office or emergency department.
Pennsylvania residents with questions about measles can also contact the Department of Health at 877-PA-HEALTH (877-724-3258).
“We’re not out of the woods,” Shapiro said. “The vaccine is the best tool we have for preventing the spread of this disease.”