At the center of the state’s growing measles outbreak, it’s business as usual

Key Points:

• Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, currently has the highest rate of measles infection in the state amid the deadliest outbreak in decades, with 193 confirmed cases since July and 76 new cases in the last two weeks alone.
• The outbreak disproportionately affects the local Amish community, which has low vaccination rates due to cultural and religious beliefs, with only about 77% of seventh-graders vaccinated countywide compared to 97% in Philadelphia.
• Despite the severity of the outbreak and several measles-related deaths in the state, including an 18-year-old Amish girl in Mifflin County, there is little public concern or widespread panic among residents, Amish and non-Amish alike.
• Local health officials and the Pennsylvania Department of Health are working to provide educational materials and vaccination clinics, but outreach is complicated by Amish skepticism toward modern medicine and limited public discussion by county officials.
• Healthcare workers express concern about the outbreak’s impact, noting hospitalizations and severe complications, while many Amish families rely on home remedies and view the virus as a natural part of life, with some accepting vaccination only reluctantly.