Unvaccinated Pennsylvania woman dies of measles complications

A 40-year-old woman in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania has died from complications linked to measles, county coroner Greg Furlong announced. This is the third vaccine-preventable, measles-related death recorded in the United States this year, and all three have occurred within Pennsylvania. The state is currently facing a major measles outbreak, with more than 670 confirmed cases and 124 hospitalizations spread across 37 counties. Before this year, Pennsylvania had gone 35 years without a single measles death.

In a news release, Furlong called the woman's death a heartbreaking loss for her family and a stark reminder that measles remains a serious, potentially fatal illness. Chief deputy coroner Jason Stiver echoed that sentiment, noting that although many people think of measles as merely a childhood disease, it can cause severe complications in people of any age, including serious respiratory illness, hospitalization, and, in rare instances, death.

Underlying health conditions

The coroner's office said no further details about the case would be released, but a preliminary death certificate obtained by the New York Times revealed that the woman suffered from several chronic conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and relied on supplemental oxygen at all times. These conditions left her especially vulnerable to complications from measles. Her listed immediate cause of death was respiratory failure due to suspected measles.

Furlong told the Times that while lab testing had not yet confirmed her measles infection, the woman was unvaccinated and was known to have had contact with someone infected with the virus. At the time of her death she displayed several classic measles symptoms, including the characteristic rash that typically starts on the head or face before spreading across the body.

The coroner's office is coordinating with the state health department, which has not yet formally added this death to its official outbreak count. The department confirmed to the Washington Post that it is aware of the case.