Pennsylvania has had its third death associated with measles this year. A 40-year-old woman has died from complications related to the highly contagious disease. This comes as the United States is experiencing the worst measles resurgence in 35 years.
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Nearly 700 Measles Cases Have Been Confirmed in Pennsylvania This Year
As reported by NBC News, the Jefferson County woman died on Saturday. No other information about the woman will be released.
"This is a heartbreaking loss for the family and an unfortunate reminder that measles can be a serious and potentially life-threatening disease," said county Coroner Greg Furlong on Facebook.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health was made aware of the woman's death.
"The Department of Health is conducting a thorough review of this case and will provide the public with updated information when it becomes available," health officials said in a statement.
State health officials say there have been nearly 700 confirmed measles cases in Pennsylvania this year. This led to 124 hospitalizations in the state. Of those confirmed cases, fewer than 1% were fully vaccinated.
Two People Died in August
On Aug. 25, the health department in Pennsylvania confirmed two deaths related to measles. Neither person was vaccinated. It was the first such death in the United States this year and the first in Pennsylvania in 35 years.
"Because measles was largely eliminated in the Commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don't fully understand the potential severity of the illness," said Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen in a statement. "As a physician, I want to make sure that people understand that the MMR vaccine is safe and provides the best protection we have against measles."
Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to decrease the number of required vaccinations for children. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy also supported the measure. The move caused an outcry from both pediatricians and public health experts.
The order comes at a time when more parents are not vaccinating their children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during the 2025-26 school year, 4.2% of kindergartners had at least one vaccine exemption. That's an increase of 0.6 percentage points from the previous year.
