Two unvaccinated people die of measles in Pennsylvania - BBC News

Cases in the US have hit the highest point since the virus was eliminated, as vaccination rates decline.

Image source, Getty ImagesByMadeline HalpertPublished25 August 2026, 15:42 BSTUpdated 6 minutes agoTwo people who were not vaccinated against measles have died of the virus in Pennsylvania, health officials said.

The state has seen 393 cases of the highly contagious virus this year, as infections across the US have hit the highest point in 35 years.

Last year, two unvaccinated children in Texas died from a measles outbreak that infected over 1,000 people, primarily children.

Eighty-five percent of kindergarten-age students in Lancaster County, where the recent deaths occurred, are vaccinated against measles - well below the 95% rate needed for herd immunity to limit the spread and protect immunocompromised people.

"My deepest sympathies are with the loved ones who are facing this unimaginable loss," Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Debra Bogen said in a statement.