Measles cases surpass 1,000 in Pennsylvania amid the state's largest outbreak in decades

At least 198 people have been hospitalized so far, department data shows.

Measles cases in Pennsylvania have surpassed 1,000 so far this year as the state continues to battle its largest outbreak in decades.

At least 198 people have been hospitalized, and five measles-associated deaths have been reported, DOH data shows.

Two of the deaths were among unvaccinated adults: an 18-year-old and a 40-year-old. The other two deaths were among infants who were too young to have received the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Fewer than 1% of the state's cases are among those who are fully vaccinated with the MMR vaccine, according to DOH.

Last week, following confirmation of the fifth death by the Pennsylvania health department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told ABC News in a statement it was "deeply saddened to hear of another death" in the state.

"CDC has not received a formal Epi-Aid request from Pennsylvania. If requested, CDC stands ready to deploy epidemiologists to support the state's identified needs," the statement continued.

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A CDC Epi-Aid is a rapid, short-term field investigation from the federal health agency of an "urgent public health problem." The Epi-Aid provides resources such as, but not limited to, increasing the workforce available for rapid response and building epidemiologic capacity, according to the CDC.

Meanwhile, measles cases in the U.S. have surpassed 3,800 so far in 2026, with cases confirmed in 45 states and Washington, D.C., according to the latest data from the CDC. It's the highest number of illnesses since 1991.