Measles Surges as Pennsylvania Confirms Bucks County Case

WHO:

NBC News Health - NBC News correspondent Erin McLaughlin traveled to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to report on the measles outbreak.

NBC News Health - The NBC News series is titled “The Vaccine Divide.”

6abc Philadelphia - Bucks County health officials confirmed the case; the person is an adult whose vaccination status is unknown.

6abc Philadelphia - The CDC reported that 18 cases were among international visitors to the United States.

6abc Philadelphia - Eight measles-associated deaths were confirmed in 2026: six in Pennsylvania, one in New York and one in Wisconsin. The CDC confirmed four deaths and said the number is “subject to change.”

6abc Philadelphia - One New York death was a child from upstate New York; Pennsylvania officials confirmed a death of an unvaccinated Jefferson County resident; Wisconsin officials reported an infant’s death.

WHAT:

NBC News Health - An investigative report found that 75% of U.S. counties have measles vaccination rates below the level needed for herd immunity.

6abc Philadelphia - Health officials confirmed a measles case in Bucks County. The adult is no longer contagious.

6abc Philadelphia - Pennsylvania had more than 1,500 measles cases and six reported deaths; the article also reports eight measles-associated deaths across the United States.

6abc Philadelphia - The CDC reported 5,182 confirmed U.S. cases, with cases in 45 states and Washington, D.C. About 96% involved people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown; 2% had received one MMR dose and 2% had received two.

6abc Philadelphia - A plurality of cases involved people aged 5 to 19. At least 11% of cases resulted in hospitalization, including more than one in 10 children under 5.

6abc Philadelphia - During the 2025-26 school year, 92.4% of kindergartners received MMR vaccination, compared with 95.2% during the 2019-20 school year.

6abc Philadelphia - Bucks County officials said, “it is reasonable to expect additional cases may be reported here in Bucks County.”

6abc Philadelphia - Officials said vaccination is the most effective protection against measles and that high vaccination rates help prevent spread and keep most infections mild.

WHERE:

NBC News Health - Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, was described as the epicenter of a deadly measles outbreak.

6abc Philadelphia - The Bucks County adult had recently traveled to central Pennsylvania, where an outbreak was occurring.

6abc Philadelphia - CDC-reported cases occurred in 45 states and Washington, D.C.; the article lists Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

WHY:

HOW:

6abc Philadelphia - The Bucks County Health Department notified healthcare providers the adult had visited and planned to help them notify potentially exposed patients.

6abc Philadelphia - The CDC recommends two MMR doses: the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between ages 4 and 6. The CDC says one dose is 93% effective and two doses are 97% effective against measles.

6abc Philadelphia - People who may have been exposed and need medical care were urged to contact the healthcare facility before arriving so it could prepare.

(UPDATED November 11, 2026 01:09 UTC)

Measles has spread across 45 states, with more than 5,000 cases nationwide. Lancaster County is the outbreak’s epicenter; Bucks County confirmed an adult case. Three-quarters of U.S. counties have vaccination rates below protective levels.