A 40-year-old woman from Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, has died from complications related to the measles virus, according to the county coroner. The Jefferson County Coroner Greg Furlong confirmed the death in a social media post early Sunday morning. The woman was unvaccinated and had been living in Jefferson County, which is part of Pennsylvania’s ongoing measles outbreak.
This death is the third in Pennsylvania this year involving measles, according to local and state reporting. The Pennsylvania Department of Health is reviewing the Jefferson County case to determine whether it meets the state’s definition of a measles-associated death, Reuters reported.
Pennsylvania’s Department of Health reported a total of 676 measles cases so far this year, with 52 new cases added from Wednesday to Friday, according to NPR. The state also reported 124 hospitalizations as of Sept. 11. Only four confirmed cases were in people who had been appropriately vaccinated for their age.
The outbreak has been centered in Lancaster County, where two infants who had measles died in August. However, the county coroner in Lancaster County disputed whether one of those deaths was directly caused by measles. The newborn died from a ruptured spleen. Lancaster County Coroner Stephen Diamantoni said the pathologist did not find that measles caused the rupture, although Pennsylvania health officials classified measles as a contributing condition.
The second infant was a 6-week-old girl who had a rare genetic disorder. Diamantoni said the measles infection caused her death. Neither infant was old enough to receive the first routine dose of the MMR vaccine.
Measles typically causes about one in five people who aren’t vaccinated to be hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One out of every 20 children with measles develops pneumonia, which is the most common cause of death in young children. Severe brain swelling occurs in about one of every 1,000 children infected with measles. The CDC says measles can also cause death in about one to three of every 1,000 children who become infected.
Jefferson County’s Chief Deputy Coroner and Public Relations Officer Jason Stiver emphasized that measles can lead to serious health issues at any age. He added that the MMR vaccine offers strong protection, with two doses about 97% effective at preventing measles. The CDC says adults over age 20 are among the groups at increased risk for serious complications from the disease.
The state’s Department of Health is leading a campaign to increase vaccination rates in response to the outbreak, Yahoo News reported. State officials said they had administered more than 4,100 MMR vaccinations at more than 120 pop-up clinics in affected communities as of Sept. 9. More vaccination clinics are planned.
This comes as the U.S. faces a resurgence of measles cases, with over 3,200 confirmed infections reported nationwide by the CDC last week. The number of cases is the highest the country has seen in decades. Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, but outbreaks can still occur when the virus enters communities where vaccination rates are low.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has declined an offer from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for federal help in managing the outbreak. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, criticized Shapiro’s decision on social media. Shapiro said the state Department of Health could handle the response and criticized Kennedy’s past statements about vaccines. Kennedy later accused Pennsylvania officials of announcing the first two deaths prematurely.
The dispute grew after questions were raised about the two Lancaster County deaths. Pennsylvania health officials continue to classify both as measles-associated deaths. The Lancaster County coroner later said measles directly caused one infant’s death and was present in the other infant who died from a ruptured spleen.
The CDC has not counted the two Lancaster County deaths in its 2026 measles death total. Federal officials have said they could not determine from the information available whether measles caused or contributed to those deaths. Pennsylvania officials have stood by their classification.
Jefferson County’s coroner’s office continues to work with state health officials on this case. The Pennsylvania Department of Health is also conducting an epidemiological review of the woman’s death.
The recent spike in measles cases has raised concerns about the risk of further complications and deaths across the region.
IMAGE: Measles. This child shows a classic day-4 rash with measles.. Photo: CDC/NIP/Barbara Rice / Wikimedia, Public domain