CDC reports first measles death amid confusion over Pennsylvania cases

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged Wednesday that one measles death has occurred so far in 2026 but provided no clarity about who died or where.

The agency previously declined to recognize four measles-associated deaths the Pennsylvania Health Department reported over the last month. On Wednesday, the CDC’s measles outbreak page was updated to show one death with a note that the number “is subject to change” and that the agency will “update its reporting as additional information becomes available.”

The change left more questions than answers. The CDC declined to provide details about which death it was referring to or whether it occurred in Pennsylvania. The agency said its National Center for Health Statistics had verified that the death now posted on the CDC website had occurred and that measles had been listed as an underlying cause of death.

Two of the people whose deaths health officials reported in Pennsylvania were babies, including a newborn whose mother had measles while she was pregnant. One was a 40-year-old woman who had a history of asthma and severe lung disease, and another was an 18-year-old who developed a rare neurological condition that causes inflammation in the brain and spinal cord.

A Pennsylvania Health Department spokesperson said the department did not know which death the CDC was citing.

Pennsylvania’s Health Department considers a death to be “measles associated” if the person died within 30 days of showing symptoms and testing positive for the virus. It can also take into account people’s medical records and whether they were exposed to measles before they died.

The CDC’s website says it is working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to “develop a standardized case definition for deaths due to measles.”

As of Wednesday, the CDC had confirmed 3,471 measles cases in 45 states and Washington, D.C., this year. More than 300 people have been hospitalized because of measles infection.

Three people died of measles in 2025: an adult in New Mexico and two young girls in Texas. The CDC readily acknowledged those deaths at the time based on information from state health departments.

On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Health Department reported that its measles case count has soared to 835, with 111 cases in the last seven days. Two-thirds of those cases are in adults, and 164 people have been hospitalized in the state.

Nearly all people who have been diagnosed with measles are unvaccinated. Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine are typically given around ages 1 and 5 and offer 97% protection against measles, usually for life. During measles outbreaks, babies as young as 6 months old can receive booster doses.