WASHINGTON: (News Desk) – A 40-year-old woman in Pennsylvania has died from complications related to measles, authorities said Sunday, bringing the number of measles-related deaths in the United States this year to three amid declining vaccination rates.
The woman, a resident of Jefferson County, died Saturday, according to the county coroner’s office. The Washington Post, citing Jefferson County Coroner Greg Furlong, reported that she was unvaccinated.
“While cases of severe illness remain uncommon, this tragedy highlights that measles should not be taken lightly,” Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner Jason Stiver said.
The latest death comes after two measles-related deaths were reported in Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County in August. They were the first measles deaths recorded in the United States in 2026 and the first in Pennsylvania in 35 years.
Lancaster County is home to a large Amish population, which generally has lower vaccination rates than the wider US population. Both victims in the August cases were unvaccinated.
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, but the highly contagious and preventable disease has resurged in recent years as vaccine skepticism and distrust of health authorities have grown.
US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, has faced criticism over his views on vaccines and their role in the country’s worsening measles outbreak.
Nearly 3,300 confirmed measles cases have been reported across the United States so far in 2026, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, exceeding the 2,289 cases recorded throughout 2025.
The highest annual total in recent decades was recorded in 1991, when the US reported 9,643 measles cases.
Measles typically begins with symptoms including fever, cough and a runny nose, followed several days later by a characteristic rash.
In some cases, the infection can cause serious complications, including pneumonia and inflammation of the brain. Such complications can result in permanent health problems or death.
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