A 39-year-old unvaccinated woman in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, has died following a recent measles diagnosis. Her death is the sixth measles-associated death reported in the state during its 2026 outbreak.¹ According to a media release from Franklin County Coroner Jordan F. Conner, the woman had multiple underlying conditions, including a recent measles infection for which she received treatment. The release cited “a probable acute cardiac event due to possible complications of the measles” as the primary cause of death.¹

The coroner’s office said the case meets the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) definition of a measles-associated death. It is also the first such death in Franklin County in many years.¹ DOH defines a measles-associated death as one occurring within 30 days of symptom onset in a patient with clinical and laboratory evidence of measles, excluding unrelated causes. The department is conducting a thorough review of the death.⁴

DOH reported 1,078 confirmed measles cases across 41 counties as of October 7, along with 207 hospitalizations.² Of the 74 cases added since October 5, more than 40 involved patients who had been ill more than two weeks earlier and whose cases were only recently reported and confirmed. DOH said the update does not reflect a new surge in infections.² Only 4 cases, under 1% of the total, have occurred in vaccinated individuals.²

State health center staff have given more than 5,700 MMR doses at 198 pop-up clinics in affected communities since the outbreak began in late April. In total, DOH nurses have administered nearly 9,000 doses statewide in 2026.² Provider demand has also climbed sharply: Pennsylvania clinicians typically administer about 25,000 MMR doses per month, but gave more than 49,000 in August and more than 56,000 in September.²

The Franklin County death follows the death of an unvaccinated Lancaster County resident, which DOH announced the previous week.³

US measles cases Continue to Climb as federal and state death counts diverge

Nationally, the CDC reported 4,080 confirmed measles cases as of October 8, an increase of 193 cases, or 5.0%, from the prior week.³ Cases have come from 47 jurisdictions, and 96% are outbreak-associated, with 42 new outbreaks reported in 2026.³ The 2026 total already exceeds the full 2025 count of 2,289 cases by 78%.³

The CDC counted 414 hospitalizations, or 10% of cases. The highest hospitalization rate, 15%, was among children younger than 5 years.³ Overall, 95% of cases occurred in people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown.³

The CDC lists only 2 measles deaths for 2026 and notes this figure may change as reviews are completed. It is also working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists on a standardized case definition for measles deaths.³ Before the Franklin County announcement, Contagion had tracked 6 measles-related deaths in 2026 from the PAstate health department reports as well as county coroners.³

DOH reports nearly 20% of Pennsylvania patients with measles have been hospitalized. Measles deaths occur in one to three patients per 1,000 cases.² Complications include pneumonia and encephalitis, and patients are typically contagious from four days before through four days after rash onset. According to DOH, two doses of MMR vaccine provide 97% lifetime protection.²

Kindergarten MMR coverage nationally has fallen to 92.4% for the 2025-2026 school year. This is below the 95% threshold the CDC cites for community immunity.³

REFERENCES

1. Franklin County Coroner’s Office. Media release: measles-associated death. Facebook. October 10, 2026. Accessed October 13, 2026. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1080491317953472&set=a.110848738251073

2. Pennsylvania Department of Health provides statewide update on measles outbreak as cases reach 1,078 in 41 counties. News release. Pennsylvania Department of Health. October 7, 2026. Accessed October 13, 2026. https://www.pa.gov/agencies/health/newsroom/pa-department-of-health-provides-statewide-update-on-measles-out9

3. Measles update: October 9, 2026. Contagion. October 9, 2026. Accessed October 13, 2026. https://www.contagionlive.com/view/measles-update-october-9-2026

4. Franklin County coroner announces measles-associated death, state Health Dept. still investigating. Pennsylvania Capital-Star. October 12, 2026. Accessed October 13, 2026. https://penncapital-star.com/health/franklin-county-coroner-announces-measles-associated-death-state-health-dept-still-investigating/