In the Midst of an Outbreak, Another Measles-Related Death Reported in Pennsylvania

Over the weekend, Jefferson County Coroner Greg Furlong announced a 40-year old woman who was from the same county had a confirmed measles-related death.¹ The county is northeast of Pittsburgh.

"This is a heartbreaking loss for the family and an unfortunate reminder that measles can be a serious and potentially life-threatening disease," a statement from the coroner's office said.¹ This is the third reported death in the state this year. However, there has been a back and forth dispute involving another coroner, the Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy over the true determination of the death in one of the cases.

One of the deaths being reported in the state was a newborn baby from Lancaster County. The coroner in that county, Stephen Diamantoni, MD, said a postmortem test on the baby’s lung tissue showed that the child had an infection known as congenital measles acquired before birth.² To learn more about congenital measles, check out the FAQ.

Pennsylvania is in the midst of a outbreak that has touch upon 37 of the 67 counties in the state. As of last Friday, the state has reported 676 cases of measles and 124 hospitalizations. And between last Wednesday and Friday, there were 52 new cases of the illness reported in the state.³

“The MMR vaccine is still the best protection against the measles virus because it builds the level of community immunity that virtually eliminated measles in the U.S. for a quarter of a century,” writes the state’s department of health.³

References

1.Wright K. Pennsylvania says an unvaccinated woman has died from measles-related complications. NPR. September 13, 2026. Accessed September 14, 2026.
https://www.npr.org/2026/09/13/nx-s1-5968093/pennsylvania-says-an-unvaccinated-woman-has-died-from-measles-related-complications

2. Whelan A, McGoldrick G.A newborn baby was one of Pa.’s two measles-related deaths, state says as RFK Jr. questions whether they were ‘fabricated’. Philadelphia Inquirer. August 26, 2026. Accessed September 14, 2026.
https://www.inquirer.com/health/measles-deaths-pennsylvania-rfk-shapiro-dispute-20260826.html

3. Pennsylvania Department of Health Provides Statewide Update on Measles Outbreak as Cases Reach 676 in 37 Counties. Pennsylvania Department of Health statement. September 11, 2026. Accessed September 14, 2026.
https://www.pa.gov/agencies/health/newsroom/department-of-health-provides-statewide-update-091126