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39-year-old unvaccinated woman becomes 6th measles death in Pennsylvania
Ars Technica • • general
Key Points:
- A 39-year-old unvaccinated woman in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, has died from measles, marking the sixth death in the state's ongoing outbreak that has affected over 1,100 people since April.
- The woman had underlying health conditions and died from a probable acute cardiac event linked to measles complications, according to the Franklin County Coroner.
- Pennsylvania's measles outbreak now spans 41 counties with 1,136 cases and 218 hospitalizations reported this year, showing no signs of slowing despite public health efforts.
- Nationwide, measles cases have surged to 4,080 in 2025, the highest since 1991, and the US is expected to lose its measles elimination status during a PAHO review in November.
- The CDC, under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has reported only two of the six Pennsylvania deaths in its official counts, highlighting discrepancies in national measles mortality reporting.
