Two people are dead after contracting measles, Pennsylvania officials said on Aug. 25.
The deaths of the individuals are “related to measles,” the Pennsylvania Department of Health said in a statement.
The department said that neither person had received a measles vaccine, and that both resided in Lancaster County.
The department declined to provide any additional details, citing a desire to avoid releasing information that could lead to the identification of the people and their families.
“Protecting the confidentiality of residents is a core responsibility of the Department of Health,” Dr. Debra Bogen, Pennsylvania’s health secretary, told reporters during a briefing in Lancaster on Aug. 25.
She and Gov. Josh Shapiro encouraged people to get the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine if they have not.
Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons said in a post on X that “it is important to know whether these two people died OF measles or WITH measles.” He said that the county coroner indicated to him that no deaths have taken place where measles was the “immediate cause of death.”
“Given this information, it appears at least on the surface that incorrect information was provided to the public today,” he wrote.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement that it and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended condolences to the families of the deceased.
“CDC is working closely with state and local health departments to strengthen response efforts, rapidly support affected communities across the state, and communicate the steps people can take to slow the spread of measles,” the agency stated. “The MMR vaccine provides the most effective protection against measles and helps prevent its spread. CDC will continue to follow Pennsylvania’s lead and provide resources to support the state’s response.”
Measles is a contagious disease that can spread through contact with an infected person or with droplets expelled by an infected person. Symptoms usually start seven to 14 days after exposure and include high fever and rash.
The number of measles cases in the country recently eclipsed the total from 2025 and is the highest since 1991. There have been 2,777 confirmed cases so far in 2026, including 393 in Pennsylvania.
No deaths from measles in the United States in 2026 had been recorded before Tuesday’s announcement.
Three people died from measles in 2025, according to the CDC. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others have said that medical records for those patients showed that they died from unrelated problems or health issues that were made worse by measles.
Kennedy and U.S. health officials have encouraged people to get the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, but Kennedy has stressed that people should not be forced to vaccinate and that doctors should be prepared to treat measles cases.
Asked about the measles situation earlier in the month during an unrelated briefing, Kennedy told reporters that “we’ve done better than any country in the world in controlling it.”
He also said that the outbreak has been almost entirely confined to religious communities that do not want to receive vaccines.
Jeffrey Martin, chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, said during the briefing on Tuesday that people with measles or who may have been exposed to measles and are experiencing symptoms should call ahead before seeking care at a hospital or another facility.
“This simple step can significantly reduce the risk of spread,” he said.