CDC Logs First Measles Death of 2026 as Counts Clash

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its measles outbreak page on Wednesday to log the first measles death of 2026, ending weeks in which the agency declined to recognize four measles-associated deaths reported by the Pennsylvania Health Department. The agency did not say who died or in which state, and added that the figure "is subject to change" and that it will update its reporting as more information becomes available.

A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Health Department told NBC News the department did not know which of its reported fatalities the CDC had counted as a measles death. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC received a report from a state in which measles was listed as the underlying cause of death, and the National Center for Health Statistics verified that the death had occurred.

Pennsylvania reported its first two measles deaths of the outbreak on August 25. Both were unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County, and they were the state's first measles deaths in 35 years. One was a newborn who tested positive for the virus and died of a ruptured spleen. The county coroner's office said the spleen showed no enlargement or inflammation, while state officials said measles can inflame the spleen and make rupture more likely. According to Becker's Hospital Review, CDC Director Erica Schwartz directed staff to leave both deaths off the national tally.

Two more measles deaths followed in September. A 40-year-old resident of Jefferson County died on September 12, and an unvaccinated 18-year-old from Mifflin County died of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, a rare neurological complication of measles.

How a counting rule became the fight

The dispute comes down to definitions. At issue is a single question: what counts as a measles death. Pennsylvania classifies a death as measles-associated when a person dies within 30 days of showing symptoms and testing positive for the virus. The CDC now uses a different standard, counting deaths from National Center for Health Statistics records in which measles is listed as the underlying cause, and it is working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to develop a standardized case definition for measles deaths. In a statement, a Health and Human Services spokesperson said the CDC would apply the same national standard to every state.

"A standardized definition (of measles-related death) is very important, so that the cases can be counted objectively. If different agencies count deaths differently, it is very confusing and leads to a lack of transparency and trust," said Kawsar Talaat, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The debate over each measles death has also become political. Governor Josh Shapiro has defended the state's count, while Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said only one measles death resulted from the virus. Pennsylvania sought emergency support from the CDC to fight its outbreak on the condition that the agency recognize the state's deaths, Reuters reported. On Wednesday, the Senate health committee's Republican chairman blamed the Trump administration's approach to vaccines for the recent deaths, Reuters reported.

A record year for measles

The outbreak is the largest the country has seen in decades. As of September 17, the CDC counted 3,471 confirmed measles cases across 47 jurisdictions in 2026, about 52 percent more than the 2,289 cases recorded in all of 2025, a year that also saw three measles deaths, two of them children. Pennsylvania is the hardest-hit state, with 835 cases as of September 23. Ninety-five percent of this year's patients were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status, and about nine percent were hospitalized.

Measles is one of the most transmissible diseases known, and researchers are still mapping how viruses work at the molecular level, including a recent enzyme discovery in virus DNA that could aid gene editing.

Health officials urge anyone with symptoms or a possible exposure to call a health care provider right away, since early signs can resemble other respiratory infections. Until the CDC and the states agree on what counts as a measles death, the official toll will keep shifting with each review, and each revision will land in the middle of a wider fight over vaccines.

Measles spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes, and the virus can linger in a room or on surfaces for up to two hours after that person leaves, according to Pennsylvania's health department. Symptoms usually begin seven to 21 days after exposure, with fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, followed by a rash that starts on the head and moves down the body.

"Because measles was largely eliminated in the Commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don't fully understand the potential severity of the illness," said Dr. Debra Bogen, Pennsylvania's health secretary. Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine provide 97 percent lifetime protection, the department said. A measles death is rare, occurring in one to three of every 1,000 cases. The CDC said it will update its reporting as additional information becomes available and relevant reviews are completed.

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