Pennsylvania reports its sixth measles death this year. RFK Jr’s CDC still says it’s two

A sixth person infected with measles has died in Pennsylvania after the worst outbreak of the virus in the state in over 35 years.

The 39-year-old woman had underlying health conditions and had previously been treated for measles, the Franklin County Coroner’s Office said Monday.

“This is the first death in Franklin County in many years with a patient with a recent history of a measles diagnosis and meets the definition set forth by the Pennsylvania Department of Health for a measles-associated death,” the coroner’s office wrote in a statement, shared to Facebook.

The office said it would not release any additional details about the case.

Measles is spreading across Pennsylvania and in other parts of the U.S. The state’s Department of Health reported 1,136 cases since the start of the year and 157 in the last week alone.

Pennsylvania’s measles tracker showed five deaths Monday but a note explained the next update would be Wednesday due to the Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day holiday.

The state’s Health Department told The Independent it is aware of the death reported by the Franklin County coroner.

“Our team has reached out to the coroner’s office and is conducting a thorough review of the reported death. We will update the public after our investigation is finished,” Press Secretary Neil Ruhland said via email.

As part of the investigation, the department will rely on its definition for a measles-associated death, he noted.

The department defines a measles-associated death as one that occurs within 30 days of the start of symptoms of infection, with clinical evidence of an infection, a positive lab test for measles and no other unrelated causes.

Why is the CDC count different?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only reports two deaths from measles in Pennsylvania.

There have been no updates to the federal death count since late September. A note above the data states the total is subject to change as more information becomes available and “relevant reviews are completed.”

Pennsylvania’s first measles death was reported in late August. It was also the first measles death of the year in the U.S.

Health Sec. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro have traded shots at each other on social media over the numbers.

Shapiro blasted what he called the Trump administration’s “incompetence” in responding to the virus and Kennedy initially claimed that Pennsylvania’s measles deaths were “fabricated.”

The CDC previously told The Independent that the agency had “mounted an aggressive response to measles outbreaks across the country.”

HHS did not immediately respond to The Independent’s request for comment on the death count.

How is measles spreading nationally?

There are 4,080 confirmed measles cases this year in the District of Columbia and 46 states. There have also been 42 new outbreaks in 2026.

Last year, there were 2,289 confirmed measles cases. Some outbreaks from 2025 continued into the beginning of this year, including in Utah and South Carolina.

Measles is a highly contagious virus that can cause life-threatening brain-swelling and high fever, especially in those who have not received two doses of the MMR vaccine.

Vaccination provides lifelong protection against infection and severe illness. But rising vaccine hesitancy and misinformation has led cases to reach the worst levels since the 1990s, doctors previously told The Independent.

The U.S. is now at risk of losing its long-held elimination status, medical experts say, because there has been continuous spread of measles for more than a year.