Two babies who were too young to be vaccinated have died in the middle of a rapidly growing measles outbreak in Pennsylvania.
Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni released the details this week, confirming that a 6-week-old girl was killed by measles and that a newborn boy who died from a ruptured spleen was also infected at the time of his death.
The girl, Mary Stoltzfus, died August 18 at her home.
She had been born with Amish lethal microcephaly, a rare genetic disorder that leaves infants with an unusually small head and an underdeveloped brain.
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The coroner concluded that a measles infection was the direct cause of her death.
The second infant, Ivan Miller, died on August 14 shortly after being born.
His mother had measles at the time of the birth, and Diamantoni said evidence of the virus was found in the baby's lung tissue.
The coroner ruled the cause of death a traumatic rupture of the spleen and listed measles as a contributing factor on the death certificate, while stressing that the virus itself did not cause the spleen injury.
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Why newborns cannot be vaccinated
Neither baby was old enough to receive the measles-mumps-rubella shot.
The CDC recommends that the first MMR dose be given at 12 through 15 months of age, with a second dose at 4 through 6 years.
Infants aged 6 through 11 months can be given an early dose before international travel or when public health authorities warn of local exposure, but the two standard doses still need to follow after the first birthday.
That leaves babies under 6 months entirely dependent on the immunity of the people around them.
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When community vaccination rates fall, the youngest infants are the first to be exposed.
A national surge
Pennsylvania has confirmed more than 580 measles cases across 37 counties in 2026, with tightly connected Amish communities in Lancaster County at the heart of the outbreak.
The wider picture is starker. As of September 3, 2026, the CDC counted 3,134 confirmed measles cases in the United States, the highest annual total since the country declared measles eliminated in 2000.
About 95 percent of the cases are linked to outbreaks, and roughly 8 percent of patients have needed hospital care, a trend that mirrors record vaccine exemptions among US kindergartners.
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The CDC has so far not counted either infant in its official 2026 measles mortality tally and has said it will update its reporting once its reviews are completed.
What families with young babies can do now
Parents whose children are too young for the MMR vaccine can lower the risk by keeping infants out of crowded settings during active local outbreaks, and by making sure siblings, caregivers and other close household contacts are up to date on their own MMR doses.
Adults who are unsure of their status can ask a doctor about a titer test or a catch-up shot.
A young child with high fever, cough, red watery eyes and a spreading rash, the classic measles pattern, should be discussed with a doctor by phone before showing up at a clinic, so staff can prevent further spread in the waiting room.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.