Pennsylvania's Department of Health (DOH) announced on Friday that 55 new measles cases have been reported in the state since Wednesday. This brings the total confirmed cases for the year to 890 across 39 counties.
The outbreak has led to 173 hospitalisations and four measles-associated deaths in the state. State health officials noted that fewer than 1% of the reported cases occurred in individuals vaccinated against measles, and 31% of cases are among people younger than 18.
The DOH is working with residents, community organisations, and healthcare providers to combat the outbreak by providing fact-based information and access to the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Since the outbreak began in late April, over 5,300 MMR vaccinations have been administered at 165 pop-up clinics.
The DOH stated that getting fully vaccinated is the best protection against measles, with the MMR vaccine providing 97% lifetime protection. Measles is a highly contagious virus that can cause serious health complications, with death occurring in one to three patients per 1,000 cases, though it is rare.