Two unvaccinated people in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania have died from measles-associated complications, state health officials announced on Tuesday. The deaths are Pennsylvania's first from measles in 35 years and the first measles-related fatalities recorded in the United States in 2025.
One of the deceased was an infant who tested positive for measles. The Lancaster County coroner is investigating that death. State officials have declined to release the ages or identities of either individual, citing the privacy of the deceased and their families.
The deaths come as measles cases in Pennsylvania have risen sharply. The state has recorded 16 measles cases in 2025, compared with 6 in 2024.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease spread through the air. It was largely eliminated in the United States following the introduction of widespread vaccination. For every 1,000 people who contract measles, approximately 1 to 3 die from the illness. Those most at risk include infants, the immunocompromised, and anyone who has not received the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, known as the MMR vaccine.
Dr Debra Bogen, Pennsylvania's Secretary of Health, pointed to a generational gap in awareness as a factor in the current situation.
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