Pennsylvania measles outbreak spreads, with 55 new cases reported since Wednesday

Less than 1% of infected have been vaccinated, with 173 people hospitalized and four deaths so far

The Pennsylvania department of health (DoH) announced on Friday that 55 new measles cases had been reported in the state since Wednesday, with officials continuing efforts to contain an outbreak of the disease that has spread across dozens of counties.

In a news release, the DoH said that 890 measles cases had been confirmed across 39 counties in the state so far for the year. The outbreak had resulted in 173 hospitalizations in the state and four measles-associated deaths, the statement added.

State health officials said fewer than 1% of reported cases have occurred among individuals vaccinated against measles. And according to the state data, 31% of the cases are among people younger than 18.

In addition to announcing that 55 new cases had been reported during a two-day period beginning on Wednesday, the DoH said it was “proactively working with residents, community organizations and healthcare providers to combat the measles outbreak … through access to fact-based information and access to the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine”.