US Measles Cases Top 5,400 as Two More Deaths Reported

Measles claimed another child in southwestern Wisconsin’s Grant County, according to the state’s health department, pushing nationwide infections past 5,400 cases for the year.

The fatality follows the death of a baby in Wisconsin last week. Wisconsin recorded 174 new infections over the past week, bringing its total to 651.

Pennsylvania recorded its seventh measles-associated death of the year after an unvaccinated resident in Montour County tested positive, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The state confirmed 61 new infections over the past week, pushing its 2026 total to 1,542 cases.

State Epidemiologist Lisa McHugh, PhD, MPH, said during a webinar hosted by the Association of Health Care Journalists that Pennsylvania’s outbreak appears to be slowing. State officials administered 61,000 MMR doses in October, compared to 56,000 in September and a normal monthly average of 25,000.

“We’re hoping that continues,” McHugh said during the AHCJ webinar regarding targeted vaccination campaigns in under-immunized communities.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 5,412 measles cases nationwide, marking the 14th straight week the agency reported a triple-digit increase. The agency added two deaths to reach a total of six, continuing to trail individual state totals.

Unvaccinated individuals or those with unknown vaccination status account for 96% of reported cases. The national hospitalization rate stands at 11%, matching figures from 2025.

A Pan American Health Organization commission meets to decide whether the United States will follow Canada and lose measles elimination status. Noel T. Brewer, PhD, with the Gillings School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina, told CIDRAP News that genomic sequencing data from Utah indicate public health records miss many mild infections.

“The United States is no longer a safe place for children in regards to measles,” Brewer said during the AHCJ webinar.

A PAHO decision is expected on November 17.

Earlier coverage: US Faces Loss of Measles Elimination Status Amid Rising Deaths and Cases

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