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Pennsylvania reports 55 new measles cases in two days, with 890 confirmed this year
September 27, 2026
Pennsylvania's health department reports 55 new measles cases since Wednesday, bringing the year's confirmed count to 890 across 39 counties.
Measles was declared eliminated from the US in 2000, and the Pennsylvania outbreak centres on Lancaster County, home to a large Amish community with little regular contact with the medical system.
The Guardian reports that the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced 55 new measles cases on Friday, counted since Wednesday. According to the department's statement, the outbreak has led to 173 hospitalizations and four measles-associated deaths, and Lancaster County leads the state with 359 positive cases. The Guardian also reports that health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has cast doubt on deaths tied to the disease, and that in August the new CDC director told agency staff to leave two Pennsylvania deaths out of the national tally.
The BBC reports from Chester County, which borders Lancaster County, where nurses vaccinate Amish families at home. Dale Weiser of the Chester County Health Department expects a long outbreak. “I think we're in this for six to 12 months. It does feel like it's spreading and accelerating,” said Weiser. The BBC reports that Lancaster County coroner Stephen Diamantoni attributes an infant's death to a ruptured spleen, not to measles. “I think the measles very much contributed to that child's demise,” William Moss said.
The two outlets agree on the four deaths and on the political dispute around them, with Governor Josh Shapiro accusing Kennedy of spreading misinformation, according to the BBC. The case counts and vaccination figures come from state officials. The cause of one infant's death remains in question.
Still developing
The coroner's finding on the child had not firmed up as of this draft.
How settled the reporting is
Sources
- BBC — In Amish country, nurses go door to door to stop deadly spread of measles
- theguardian.com — Pennsylvania measles outbreak spreads, with 55 new cases reported since Wednesday
Toggle read the full reports of all 4 outlets counted on this event.