Pennsylvania health officials confirmed on Wednesday that a resident of Lancaster County has died from measles, marking the fifth fatality from the disease in the state this year. All individuals who have died were unvaccinated.

The most recent death follows two earlier fatalities in Lancaster County reported in August, which were notably the first measles-related deaths in the United States so far this year. Additional deaths were documented in mid-September in Jefferson and Mifflin counties.

To date, Pennsylvania has reported 943 cases of measles in 2026. State health authorities emphasize that the vast majority of these cases—and all fatalities—occurred among those who had not received the measles vaccine. Only four reported cases involved vaccinated individuals, underscoring health experts’ assertions about the vaccine's effectiveness.

“Every one of these deaths was preventable,” said Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. His comment highlights ongoing concerns about vaccine hesitancy and its role in the resurgence of measles, a highly contagious disease previously considered eliminated in the U.S.

Health officials continue to promote vaccination efforts as the primary means of controlling the outbreak and preventing further fatalities. The latest death has renewed calls for increased public awareness and immunization compliance to curb the spread of measles in Pennsylvania and beyond.