Measles Kills Pennsylvania Teen, Fourth Death This Year

According to The Guardian, this is the worst year for measles in the United States since 1992. Pennsylvania has recorded 693 cases in 2026, and there have been more than 3,200 across the country, compared with 2,289 in the whole of last year. Measles spreads very easily through the air and through droplets from coughs and sneezes. About nine in ten unvaccinated people who are exposed catch it. The MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella, prevents about 97% of cases. However, only just over 92% of kindergarten children are fully protected, below the 95% needed for herd immunity, which protects a whole community. Experts quoted by The Guardian blame confusion caused by the Trump administration.

Pennsylvania's health secretary, Dr Debra Bogen, said the state would try to stop the outbreak by giving people accurate information and access to the vaccine. More people now want the vaccine: over 46,000 doses were given in the state in August, nearly double the usual number. A doctor told CBS News (an American television news network) that measles has no treatment, so avoiding contact is essential.