Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak just crossed a grim milestone. The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced Monday that 1,505 measles cases have now been confirmed across 45 counties — making Pennsylvania the hardest-hit state in the country and this the state’s worst outbreak in years.
The numbers moved fast in just a few days: 18 new cases since November 6, and 73 new cases in the last seven days alone. Hospitalizations climbed to 290, and six people have died from measles-associated causes. Health officials also noted that only five of the 1,505 cases — less than 1% — were in vaccinated people.
And the count is still rising. Bucks County announced a new case on November 9 involving a resident who had recently traveled to a central Pennsylvania area with heavy case activity — and that case is not even included in the 1,505 yet.
Nationally, the CDC counted 5,182 confirmed U.S. measles cases as of November 5 — the highest annual total since 1991. Pennsylvania leads the country, followed by South Carolina and Utah.
What you need to know: Measles spreads through the air and can linger in a room for up to two hours after an infected person leaves. Early symptoms look like a bad cold — high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes — followed by the rash a few days later. If you believe you were exposed and you have symptoms, call your health care provider or the Pennsylvania Department of Health hotline at 877-PA-HEALTH (877-724-3258) before walking into a waiting room, so staff can protect other patients. The MMR vaccine remains the strongest protection — two doses are about 97% effective.
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Health, data as of November 9, 2026.
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