On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed two measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania. Both individuals were unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County. These marked the first deaths related to measles within the commonwealth in 35 years. 

To protect the privacy of the individuals and their families, Pennsylvania health officials will not release any additional details that could personally identify these individuals and their families. The state has confirmed 393 cases in 28 counties thus far in 2026. 

Measles is a highly contagious virus that can cause serious short- and long-term health problems, including pneumonia and brain swelling, with nearly 20% of people who contract measles being hospitalized. Death related to measles, though rare, occurs in one to three patients per 1,000 cases. 

“My deepest sympathies are with the loved ones who are facing this unimaginable loss,” said Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen. “Because measles was largely eliminated in the commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don’t fully understand the potential severity of the illness. We want to ensure every Pennsylvanian has the information they need to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities. As a physician, I want to make sure that people understand that the MMR vaccine is safe and provides the best protection we have against measles.”

The best protection against measles is getting fully vaccinated. The MMR vaccine, administered over two doses, boosts a person’s immune system and provides 97% lifetime protection.  

The U.S. is experiencing its worst year for measles since 1991, the Associated Press reported. Earlier this summer, it surpassed last year’s record-breaking measles count, with 2,777 cases as of Aug. 20, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2025, the CDC confirmed 2,289 cases, and three people died last year.

This month, the New York City Health Department released its first comprehensive evaluation of the Congestion Relief Zone Tolling Program’s impact on neighborhood air quality. The report determined that the city’s air quality remained stable or improved slightly in the first year of congestion pricing, continuing a 20-year trend of improving air quality and declining pollution.

Additionally, environmental justice communities alongside major highway corridors identified in the Congestion Relief Zone Tolling Environmental Assessment did not experience increased air pollution attributable to congestion pricing.

“Cleaner air means healthier communities, and New Yorkers deserve to know how major policies affect the air they breathe,” said NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin. “This report gives us the clearest picture to date of how air quality has changed during the first year of congestion pricing, and we now know that air quality across New York City was not any different because of congestion pricing. By continuing to monitor neighborhood air quality over time, we’re helping to ensure that decisions affecting our city are informed by strong health data.”

“With congestion pricing, we’ve seen fewer vehicles entering Manhattan’s central business district and more people choosing to bike, walk and take mass transit,” said New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn. “Health’s findings, combined with the program’s investment of over US$120 million into the city’s air quality and public health initiatives like NYC DOT’s Clean Trucks Program, mean that congestion pricing will help communities across the city breathe cleaner.”

The report also concluded that the reduced congestion, improvements in transit systems, and investments through the mitigation program—which directs funds toward initiatives in environmental justice communities—clearly demonstrate the overall benefit of the program.

To conduct the evaluation, the health department expanded its existing New York City Community Air Survey (NYCCAS) monitoring network in partnership with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the NYC Department of Transportation and the New York State Department of Transportation. The analysis examined concentrations of four traffic-related air pollutants, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitric oxide (NO), and black carbon (BC), within the Congestion Relief Zone and in environmental justice communities where concerns had been raised about potential traffic changes—areas that include the Major Deegan Expressway, Cross Bronx Expressway, Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, Staten Island Expressway, FDR Drive and Trans-Manhattan Expressway. Using data starting one full year before tolling began and continuing one year after, researchers were able to distinguish the effects of congestion pricing from other factors that influence air quality, such as weather, seasonal changes and regional wildfire smoke, by using a control site that was not affected by congestion pricing and statistical modeling.

For nearly two decades, NYCCAS has monitored neighborhood-level air quality to better understand what causes differences between neighborhoods, how pollution changes over time, and how it affects health. NYCCAS has found that air quality improved dramatically in all NYC neighborhoods during the past decades, but more work is needed to mitigate traffic-related air pollution, which is linked to asthma, heart disease, stroke and other serious health conditions. In May, the city announced a US$20 million investment from the MTA to improve childhood asthma outcomes in the Bronx. This investment allows the health department to further support the Bronx Asthma Program and expand the Asthma Case Management Program.

The full report is available on the NYC Health Department’s website.