Washington, August 26 (QNA) - Two people in the US State of Pennsylvania have died after contracting measles, marking the first measles-related deaths reported in the United States this year, as the country grapples with its largest outbreak of the highly contagious disease in more than three decades.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health said the two unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County had died from measles. The deaths are the first measles-related fatalities reported in Pennsylvania in 35 years. The department did not release further details about the victims, citing privacy concerns.
The deaths follow three measles-related fatalities in the United States in 2025, including two children, as the disease began to spread more widely.
The resurgence has also drawn criticism of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Trump administration over policies and statements that critics say have contributed to vaccine hesitancy.
Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said the deaths were painful to see after measles had been eliminated in the United States for decades. He called on US leaders to encourage vaccination to help stop the spread of the disease, referring to the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
According to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States had recorded 2,777 confirmed measles cases as of August 20, surpassing the 2,289 cases reported for all of 2025. The 2026 total is the highest since 1991, when the country recorded 9,643 cases.
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, meaning there was no longer continuous transmission of the disease within the country. However, the CDC says declining vaccination coverage in recent years has left some communities more vulnerable to outbreaks. (QNA)