Measles Deaths Rise in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania as US Cases Top 5,400

Two more people have died from measles complications as nationwide infections surpass 5,400, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Another child has died of measles in Wisconsin, state health officials reported, following the death of a baby in the same state the previous week. The child lived in Grant County in the southwestern corner of Wisconsin, which accounts for more than a third of the state’s 651 cases. Wisconsin recorded 174 new infections over the past week, leading all US states in weekly case growth.

Measles outbreak continues to grow; deaths reported in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, New York this week — CBS Philadelphia

Pennsylvania, the country’s other major measles hot spot, confirmed 61 new infections over the past week, bringing its 2026 total to 1,542 cases, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. An unvaccinated resident in Montour County has died from the virus, marking the state’s seventh measles-associated death this year, as detailed in a press release from the agency.

Total US measles cases now stand at 5,412 for the year. This marks the 14th straight week that the CDC has reported a triple-digit increase in infections. Epidemiologists note that the true number of infections is likely much higher due to mild or moderate cases going unrecorded when individuals do not seek medical care.

New measles death in Wisconsin — ABC News

A PAHO commission is meeting to determine whether the United States and Mexico will follow in Canada’s wake and lose measles elimination status. A decision is expected on November 17, with infectious disease experts agreeing that the virus is once again endemic across North America.

Noel T. Brewer, PhD, with the Gillings School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina, said during a webinar about the PAHO meeting hosted by the Association of Health Care Journalists that the United States is no longer a safe place for children in regards to measles.

Children and teens continue to account for most reported US cases, and at least four of this year’s fatalities were children. Unvaccinated individuals or those with unknown vaccination status account for 96% of all reported cases, while the hospitalization rate holds steady at 11%.

Vaccination rates continue to diverge sharply by state. While states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Wisconsin allow religious or philosophical exemptions and report lower kindergarten MMR vaccination rates, West Virginia requires compulsory school vaccines without non-medical exemptions, achieving a 98.9% vaccination rate and recording just two cases statewide for all of 2026.

Earlier coverage: CDC Reports Six Measles Deaths as US Faces Major Resurgence