Sept 15 (Reuters) – The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Tuesday confirmed two more measles-associated deaths, both in unvaccinated individuals, bringing the state’s total fatalities linked to the disease to four.
One individual lived in Jefferson County, while the other lived in Mifflin County, the department said, without disclosing any additional details to protect their privacy.
The Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Health officials said last month two Pennsylvania residents died after contracting measles, the first such deaths this year in the U.S. The CDC has not included the previous deaths in its official count and the national data currently reflects no measles deaths in 2026.
“My thoughts are with the two families who lost loved ones to this highly-contagious virus, as Pennsylvania faces the worst measles outbreak in more than three decades,” said Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen.
The Pennsylvania health department said it conducted rigorous investigations with cooperation from the Jefferson and Mifflin County coroner’s offices to determine that these cases met the criteria to be considered measles-associated deaths before announcing them.
It reports a “measles-associated death” when an individual with an active case of measles dies and meets a set of criteria.
A confirmed measles-associated death is when it occurs within 30 days of symptom onset in an individual with clinical evidence of a measles infection and a positive laboratory test, and is not due to unrelated causes such as an accident.
Additional information such as whether an individual was exposed to measles prior to their death or supporting medical records are also considered.
Measles, which can cause symptoms including fever, rash and respiratory issues, is highly contagious but easily preventable with the measles, mumps and rubella combination vaccine — a routine shot for children that is 97% effective in preventing infection after two doses.
Pennsylvania, Utah and South Carolina have been grappling with measles outbreaks this year.
(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)
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