Pennsylvania's measles case count climbed to 1,398 across 44 counties, the state Department of Health (DOH) reported Wednesday, Oct. 28.

The update marks 85 new cases since the previous Wednesday's count, according to 28/22 News. Of those infected statewide, 265 have been hospitalized. Less than 1% were fully vaccinated.

A cluster of 148 confirmed cases now spans nine northeastern and central Pennsylvania counties, the DOH reported. Snyder County leads with 52 cases, followed by Clinton County with 41, Union County with 19 and Northumberland County with 13. Schuylkill County has seven, Lycoming County six, Columbia County five, Montour County four and Bradford County one.

Five people have died in measles-associated deaths statewide since the outbreak began in late April, according to PennLive. Two were children and three were unvaccinated adults. A sixth potential death involving a 39-year-old woman in Franklin County on Oct. 12 remains under state investigation, Outbreak News Today reported.

No Monroe County cases, but vaccination gaps persist

Monroe County had no confirmed measles cases as of Oct. 21, the Pocono Record reported. Nearby Lehigh County had two cases and Schuylkill County had seven at that time.

Still, 13 schools across the East Stroudsburg Area, Pleasant Valley, Pocono Mountain and Stroudsburg Area districts fall below the 95% MMR vaccination rate the CDC considers the threshold for herd immunity, the Pocono Record reported. Swiftwater Elementary Center had the lowest kindergarten rate at 82.7%. Other schools below the mark include Clear Run Elementary Center at 88.2%, Middle Smithfield Elementary School at 89.2% and Bushkill Elementary School at 89.7%.

High schools in Monroe County report vaccination rates at or above 95%, according to the Pocono Record.

State response ramps up

Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen held a roundtable with Mifflin County health care leaders on Oct. 22 to discuss the outbreak response, according to a state press release. Mifflin County has the second-highest case count in the state with 193, behind Lancaster County's 487.

"Listening to the people on the ground caring for people in affected communities like Mifflin County is essential to refining our public health response," Bogen said in the release.

The state has deployed about 300 DOH staff to combat the outbreak through vaccination clinics and community outreach. State health center nurses have administered more than 10,300 MMR vaccine doses in 2026, including more than 6,500 at 226 pop-up clinics in affected communities.

Demand for the vaccine has surged statewide. Pennsylvania health care providers administered more than 56,000 MMR doses in September, more than double the typical monthly total of about 25,000, according to the DOH.

The two-dose MMR vaccine provides 97% lifetime protection against measles, according to the DOH's measles page. The virus spreads through the air and can linger for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area.

Residents who believe they were exposed can call the DOH's toll-free hotline at 877-PA-HEALTH (877-724-3258).