U.S. measles deaths rise to 10 after new reports in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin

Nationwide, 75% of counties and jurisdictions with measles vaccine data fall below the 95% vaccination rate needed to prevent outbreaks. Mary Conlon / APShareAdd NBC News to GoogleNov. 13, 2026, 5:33 PM ESTBy Aria BendixTotal measles deaths in the United States this year rose to 10 on Friday, a grim milestone in an outbreak that has seen a record number of infections and prompted state and local health departments to ramp up vaccination efforts.

Pennsylvania and Wisconsin each reported a new measles-associated death on Friday. The Wisconsin Health Department said a child had died, but declined to release more information, citing the family’s privacy. The Pennsylvania Health Department said its latest death was an unvaccinated resident of Montour County who had tested positive for measles.

The virus, the most contagious known to humans, can lead to deadly complications, like pneumonia or swelling of the brain, in unvaccinated people.

So far this year, Pennsylvania has reported seven measles-associated deaths, Wisconsin has reported two and New York has reported one. Prior to those deaths, none of the states had seen a measles death in more than 30 years.

As of Thursday, around 5,400 measles cases have been recorded in the U.S. — more than double last year’s count and the highest since 1991. Public health experts attribute the outbreak to a sharp decline in measles vaccination rates coupled with a global resurgence of the virus.

Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, meaning it was no longer continuously spreading, though there can be occasional outbreaks. The country now seems poised to lose that designation: The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), a group within the World Health Organization, met this week to determine whether the U.S. can still be considered measles-free. Their decision is expected to be announced on Tuesday.

At the center of PAHO’s deliberations is whether there has been ongoing transmission in the U.S. for a full year. Canada lost its elimination status last year after the agency determined that the virus had been spreading there for at least 12 months.

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Nationwide, 75% of counties and jurisdictions with measles vaccine data fall below the 95% vaccination rate needed to prevent outbreaks, according to an NBC News investigation.

The share of kindergartners who had been vaccinated for measles fell from 95% during the 2019-20 school year to 92% during the 2025-26 school year.

Aria BendixAria Bendix is the breaking health reporter for NBC News Digital.