Pennsylvania reports third measles-related death amid outbreak

A 40-year-old unvaccinated woman in Pennsylvania has died from measles-related complications, marking the third death state officials have linked to the virus this year amid a nationwide outbreak. Jefferson County Coroner Greg Furlong confirmed the woman, a resident of the county, died on Saturday, September 13, 2026. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 676 measles cases in the state as of Friday, with 52 new cases identified between Wednesday and Friday. The death has intensified a dispute between state and federal authorities over the classification of earlier fatalities. Pennsylvania officials have counted two previous measles-related deaths involving infants in Lancaster County earlier in 2026. However, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has disputed those classifications, stating the Lancaster County Coroner attributed one infant's death to a rare genetic condition and the other to a ruptured spleen, not measles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported more than 3,200 confirmed measles cases nationwide in 2026.