Health Care · Report · File No. 261114-368
U.S. measles deaths reach 10 after new reports in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin
Pennsylvania and Wisconsin each reported a new measles death on Friday, bringing the 2026 U.S. total to 10. Cases are at their highest since 1991, and a decision on the country's measles-free status is due Tuesday.
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Measles deaths in the United States rose to 10 this year after Pennsylvania and Wisconsin each reported a new death on Friday. The count is up from the six we last reported. NBC News called it a grim milestone in an outbreak with a record number of infections 1.
Wisconsin's health department said a child had died but declined to give more details, citing the family's privacy. Pennsylvania said its latest death was an unvaccinated resident of Montour County who had tested positive for measles 1.
Where the deaths have happened
Pennsylvania has now reported seven measles-associated deaths this year, Wisconsin two and New York one. None of those states had seen a measles death in more than 30 years before this year 1.
Wisconsin's first death came on Nov. 5, when state officials announced that an infant had died. A coroner listed measles as the immediate cause 2. At least four deaths this year were in babies too young to be vaccinated 1.
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About 5,400 measles cases have been recorded in the U.S. as of Thursday. That is more than double last year's count and the most since 1991 1.
Any death of a child is a tragedy and even more so when it is related to a vaccine-preventable disease.
Vaccination rates are falling
Public health experts blame a sharp drop in measles vaccination, along with a global return of the virus 1. The share of kindergartners vaccinated against measles fell from 95% in the 2019-20 school year to 92% in 2025-26 1.
An NBC News investigation found that 75% of counties and jurisdictions with measles vaccine data are below the 95% vaccination rate needed to prevent outbreaks 1. Wisconsin's kindergarten rate is about 85% 2.
Measles is now spreading because there are enough people who are susceptible to infection.
Two doses of the vaccine are 97% effective. The first dose is usually given around a child's first birthday and the second at ages 4 to 6 1. Pennsylvania and Wisconsin now recommend an early dose for infants ages 6 to 11 months in areas with many cases 1.
What happens next
The Pan American Health Organization, part of the World Health Organization, met this week to decide whether the U.S. can still be called measles-free. Its decision is expected Tuesday 1.
The question is whether the virus has spread continuously in the U.S. for a full year. Canada lost its elimination status last year after the agency found the virus had spread there for at least 12 months 1. The U.S. declared measles eliminated in 2000 1.
That matters because elimination was a public health achievement built on high vaccination rates. Losing it would mean the country has not held onto that progress, and children too young for shots are the ones now dying.
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Sources
- NBC News, “U.S. measles deaths rise to 10 after new reports in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin” (2026-11-13). nbcnews.com/health/health-news/us-measles-deaths-rise-10-new
- CNN via KSL, “Wisconsin infant is third measles-related death this week in US” (2026-11-05). ksl.com/article/51644051/wisconsin-infant-is-third-measles-r
- AP via Spectrum News NY1, “Child dies of measles in Wisconsin's first such death since 1990” (2026-11-05). ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/ap-top-news/2026/11/05/child-dies-o
Found an error? Tell the newsroom. Corrections are noted at the top of the story.
More from the files
Wisconsin reports first measles death since 1990 as U.S. toll rises this year
An infant in Wisconsin has died of measles, the state's first such death in decades and the third reported in the U.S. this week. Eight Americans have now died of measles this year, the most since 1991, as vaccination rates fall.
U.S. and Mexico face closed-door review of measles elimination status next week
The Pan American Health Organization will weigh whether the U.S. loses its measles-free status after a year of outbreaks. Wisconsin also reported an infant's measles death, the state's first in more than 30 years.
New York reports first measles death in over 30 years as cases reach 178
State health officials said a child in Lewis County died in the ongoing outbreak. Cases have risen from 108 in early October to 178, and Pennsylvania is fighting the nation's worst outbreak in 30 years.
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