Pennsylvania is experiencing its largest measles outbreak in three decades, surpassing South Carolina's earlier outbreak of 997 cases. As of Monday, Pennsylvania reported 1,004 measles cases with 198 hospitalizations, including severe complications such as dehydration, liver problems, and neurological damage in children. The outbreak began in late April and continues to grow despite an increase in vaccinations; experts predict it could last another three to six months. Lower vaccination rates, particularly among the Amish population in Lancaster County, are contributing factors.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
On Monday, the state surpassed South Carolina’s outbreak from earlier this year, which topped out at 997.
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which → surpass → 997
That outbreak was contained within six months.
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outbreak → contain → months
Pennsylvania’s outbreak, which began in late April, shows no sign of slowing.
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which → begin → slowing
“I would bet that this goes on for at least another three to six months,” said Dr. John Goldman, an infectious disease expert at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
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Center → bet → Pittsburgh
“We have seen an increase in vaccinations, but we aren’t seeing enough people get vaccinated to stop the epidemic.”
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people → see → epidemic
On Monday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 1,004 measles cases, with 198 hospitalizations.
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Department → report → hospitalizations
Among the pediatric measles cases, 18% have needed hospitalization.
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% → need → hospitalization
Dehydration has become a common problem, particularly among babies and younger children, said Dr. Evan Shirey, a pediatric infectious disease physician at Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital in Hershey.
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Shirey → become → Hershey
Doctors are also seeing young patients with liver problems.
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Doctors → see → problems
“One of the more common things that the measles virus can do is cause hepatitis or infection of the liver,” Shirey said.
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Shirey → do → liver
“These children will feel very sick, very nauseous, with abdominal pain and vomiting, and they can’t take a bottle or can’t keep food or liquid down.”
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they → feel → food
Other children are developing severe and irreversible neurological damage because of brain inflammation, or encephalitis, Shirey said.
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Shirey → develop → inflammation
“In some of these cases, it’s a child who can’t recognize their own mother, who’s disoriented and confused,” Shirey said.
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Shirey → ’ → mother
Still others have developed secondary bacterial infections.
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others → develop → infections
Five people in the state have died, according to the health department.
uncertain
people → die → department
Those people include a teenager with severe brain inflammation and a 40-year-old woman with a history of asthma, as well as two babies.
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people → include → asthma
One of those babies was a newborn who died after his mother went into labor a month early.
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mother → die → labor
There are few details about the fifth person who died, other than the person hadn’t been vaccinated and lived in Lancaster County, where the bulk of measles cases are.
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bulk → be → cases
There is nothing in the religion that is inherently anti-vaccine, but historically, their vaccination rates have been lower than those of the general population, Goldman said.
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Goldman → be → population
According to an NBC News investigation, 88.5% of kindergartners in 2024 had the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.
uncertain
% → accord → vaccine
A vaccination rate of at least 95% is the accepted level of herd immunity needed to protect against a measles outbreak.
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rate → accept → outbreak
The exact same thing could happen in any county in the country that has a large percentage of unvaccinated people,” Goldman said.
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Goldman → happen → people
“If it hasn’t happened yet, it’s only because measles hasn’t gotten into that county yet.”
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measles → happen → county
The outbreak in South Carolina, which ended in April, was previously the largest in approximately 30 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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which → end → Control
That outbreak was linked to a community of people who emigrated from Ukraine over the past few decades.
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who → link → decades
State health officials credited a massive surge in vaccinations with bringing its outbreak to a halt.
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officials → credit → halt
In the northwestern corner of the state, where the outbreak was centered, nearly 15,000 MMR vaccinations were given during the South Carolina outbreak, up 82% compared with the previous year, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health.
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vaccinations → center → Health
As of Monday, the Pennsylvania health department said it’s given just 8,843 MMR doses so far in response to the outbreak.
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it → say → outbreak
Ohio is also dealing with a growing measles outbreak along the border it shares with Pennsylvania.
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it → deal → Pennsylvania
As of Thursday, Ohio had logged 210 measles cases, with 13 hospitalizations.
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Ohio → log → hospitalizations
Most cases are concentrated in the northeastern part of the state, in Geauga, Ashtabula and Wayne counties.
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cases → concentrate → counties
The Aporia
