Pennsylvania has 1,398 measles cases, health department says in Nov. 2 report

Pennsylvania had recorded 1,398 measles cases at the latest count, the state health department said in a 2 November Guardian feature. The article did not give a cutoff date for the count. Almost two-thirds of the state’s cases have been among adults.

The Guardian reported that, since 1 August, 150,000 doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine had been administered, including more than 50,000 in October. It said Pennsylvania began applying for CDC emergency assistance in September.

Guardian reports state deaths absent from national tally

The Guardian reported 5 measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania: 2 infants and 3 adults with underlying health conditions. The dates of those deaths were not given. The separate CDC tally records 3 deaths among 4,588 confirmed US cases in 2026; the Guardian said Pennsylvania’s reported deaths were not reflected in that tally.

Governor Josh Shapiro accused the CDC of failing to acknowledge Pennsylvania’s measles-related deaths for political reasons and accused US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr of encouraging vaccine skepticism. Kennedy accused Shapiro’s administration of politicizing the outbreak and said declining measles vaccination during Covid had caused a global outbreak.

Outreach in Amish communities

The Guardian reported that the outbreak has drawn attention to the Amish community in Lancaster County. It said the state sent 300 health department staff to the area and administered nearly 6,000 vaccinations as part of its response. Shapiro’s administration has also used pop-up clinics and mailings to encourage vaccination.

The Guardian describes the community as descended from German-speaking religious conservatives and reports no broad Amish religious opposition to vaccines. Christ Stoltzfoos and his uncle Amos told the paper that Amish residents dislike dealing directly with government.

Steven Nolt, a professor of history and Anabaptist studies at Elizabethtown College, said Amish families’ decisions about immunization follow family tradition rather than religious instruction. He said Amish people are under-vaccinated, but reliable data are lacking on the extent.

Amish resident Christ Stoltzfoos said some people who became seriously ill later wished they had been vaccinated, while others who had not become very sick still played down the disease. The state’s clinics and mailings continue its effort to encourage vaccination in the community.