Jefferson County, Pennsylvania has recorded its third measles-related death of the year after a 40-year-old unvaccinated woman died on Saturday from complications of the disease.
Jefferson County Coroner Greg Furlong announced the death on Facebook, identifying the deceased only as a Jefferson County resident without disclosing further personal details.
Jefferson County sits in a rural area approximately 50 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, and Furlong confirmed to NPR that the woman had not been vaccinated against measles.
Furlong said his office was working alongside the Pennsylvania Department of Health to review the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death.
“This is a heartbreaking loss for the family and an unfortunate reminder that measles can be a serious and potentially life-threatening disease,” Furlong wrote in his public statement.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time. We ask that the public and media respect their privacy as they mourn the loss of their loved one,” he added.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health told NBC News it was “conducting a thorough review of this case and will provide the public with updated information when it becomes available.”
Pennsylvania’s two previous measles-related deaths in 2026 both involved infants and occurred in August, with a coroner reporting the virus directly caused one of those deaths.
Neither infant had reached the age at which the first measles vaccine dose is typically administered, which is around one year old, leaving them without any protection.
As of Friday, Pennsylvania had recorded 676 measles cases across 37 of its 67 counties, with 124 cases resulting in hospitalizations, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Of those hospitalized cases, four involved individuals who had previously been vaccinated against measles, highlighting the rare but possible risk even among the immunized population.
The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics stated on Sunday that it did not currently have any 2026 death records listing measles as the underlying cause, creating a discrepancy with state and local reporting.
Measles symptoms typically emerge seven to fourteen days after infection, starting with fever, cough, runny nose, red watery eyes, and a characteristic red rash, according to the CDC.
The disease poses the most severe risks to babies and young children, with potential complications including pneumonia and dangerous swelling of the brain.
Pennsylvania’s Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro and the administration of Republican President Donald Trump have previously clashed over the details of the state’s two earlier measles deaths this year.
