{"id":244715,"date":"2026-07-16T10:25:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T10:25:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/244715\/"},"modified":"2026-07-16T10:25:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T10:25:08","slug":"pa-launches-measles-dashboard-as-new-lancaster-county-cases-drive-vaccination-push","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/244715\/","title":{"rendered":"Pa. launches measles dashboard as new Lancaster County cases drive vaccination push"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Pennsylvania Department of Health has launched a new online measles dashboard to give families and communities more timely information about cases across the commonwealth, as officials step up vaccination efforts in Lancaster County, the center of the state’s largest outbreak this year. Announced by the Shapiro administration, the dashboard includes county-by-county case counts, along with data on patients\u2019 ages, hospitalizations and vaccination status. It will be updated every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon. “This new measles dashboard is part of the Shapiro Administration\u2019s commitment to boost public access to information and provide transparency in our work to protect public health,” Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen said.Bogen said the department is continuing its efforts to contain the spread of the highly contagious virus, particularly among unvaccinated residents. She said state health center staff have administered more than three times as many measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccinations in Lancaster County so far in 2026 as they did during all of 2025. Lancaster County at center of outbreakLancaster County has reported the highest number of measles cases in Pennsylvania this year, accounting for 67 of the state\u2019s 109 total cases as of July 15. Statewide data also shows:109 total cases reported this year8 new cases in the last seven days20 hospitalizations42% of cases in people under 180 deaths0% fully vaccinated among reported casesThe Department of Health said it has administered more than 600 vaccine doses to Lancaster County residents through pop-up measles clinics since cases were first identified there in late April. By comparison, state staff administered 179 measles vaccinations in the county during all of 2025.According to the department, state-operated health centers have delivered more than 1,500 MMR doses statewide this year. Vaccine outreach expandsHealth officials say vaccination remains the most effective protection against measles. Two doses of the MMR vaccine provide 97% lifetime protection against infection, according to the department. In late June, the department issued guidance allowing health care providers to vaccinate infants as young as 6 months old during the outbreak, citing the heightened risk measles poses to young children. The department said measles cases and deaths in the United States have fallen by more than 97% since the vaccine was introduced in the early 1960s. Lawmakers urge residents to get vaccinatedState Reps. Ismail Smith-Wade-El and Nikki Rivera, both Democrats from Lancaster County, urged residents to get vaccinated and use the new dashboard to stay informed.”The one common thread among nearly all measles cases is that individuals are either unvaccinated or unable to confirm their vaccination status,” the representatives said. “For the sake of their families and their communities, we urge all eligible residents to get vaccinated against this preventable disease.” What residents should knowMeasles spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. The virus can remain in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours after that person leaves the area, according to the department.Common symptoms include:High feverCoughRunny noseRed, watery eyesA rash that begins on the head and spreads downwardSymptoms can appear seven to 21 days after exposure. Measles can lead to serious complications, including hospitalization and death. The department said local public health teams continue contact tracing for new cases, notifying people who may have been exposed and working to limit further spread.Anyone who believes they were exposed and are experiencing symptoms should contact a health care provider or call the Department of Health\u2019s toll-free hotline at 877-PA-HEALTH (877-724-3258).\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

The Pennsylvania Department of Health has launched a new online measles dashboard<\/a> to give families and communities more timely information about cases across the commonwealth, as officials step up vaccination efforts in Lancaster County, the center of the state’s largest outbreak this year. <\/p>\n

Announced by the Shapiro administration, the dashboard includes county-by-county case counts<\/a>, along with data on patients\u2019 ages, hospitalizations and vaccination status. It will be updated every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon. <\/p>\n

\t\t\"\ufeffPA<\/p>\n

\n\t\tPennsylvania Department of Health\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPA Measles Cases by County<\/p>\n

“This new measles dashboard is part of the Shapiro Administration\u2019s commitment to boost public access to information and provide transparency in our work to protect public health,” Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen said.<\/p>\n

Bogen said the department is continuing its efforts to contain the spread of the highly contagious virus, particularly among unvaccinated residents. She said state health center staff have administered more than three times as many measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccinations in Lancaster County so far in 2026 as they did during all of 2025. <\/p>\n

Lancaster County at center of outbreak\t<\/p>\n

Lancaster County has reported the highest number of measles cases in Pennsylvania this year, accounting for 67 of the state\u2019s 109 total cases as of July 15. <\/p>\n

Statewide data also shows:<\/p>\n

109 total cases reported this year8 new cases in the last seven days20 hospitalizations42% of cases in people under 180 deaths0% fully vaccinated among reported cases<\/p>\n

\t\t\"Pennsylvania<\/p>\n

\n\t\tPennsylvania Department of Health\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPennsylvania Measles Cases<\/p>\n

The Department of Health said it has administered more than 600 vaccine doses to Lancaster County residents through pop-up measles clinics since cases were first identified there in late April. By comparison, state staff administered 179 measles vaccinations in the county during all of 2025.<\/p>\n

According to the department, state-operated health centers have delivered more than 1,500 MMR doses statewide this year. <\/p>\n

Vaccine outreach expands<\/p>\n

Health officials say vaccination remains the most effective protection against measles. Two doses of the MMR vaccine provide 97% lifetime protection against infection, according to the department. <\/p>\n

In late June, the department issued guidance<\/a> allowing health care providers to vaccinate infants as young as 6 months old during the outbreak, citing the heightened risk measles poses to young children. <\/p>\n

The department said measles cases and deaths in the United States have fallen by more than 97% since the vaccine was introduced in the early 1960s. <\/p>\n

\t\t\"measles<\/p>\n

\n\t\tpeterschreiber.media\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMeasles vaccination<\/p>\n

Lawmakers urge residents to get vaccinated<\/p>\n

State Reps. Ismail Smith-Wade-El and Nikki Rivera, both Democrats from Lancaster County, urged residents to get vaccinated and use the new dashboard to stay informed.<\/p>\n

“The one common thread among nearly all measles cases is that individuals are either unvaccinated or unable to confirm their vaccination status,” the representatives said. “For the sake of their families and their communities, we urge all eligible residents to get vaccinated against this preventable disease.” <\/p>\n

What residents should know<\/p>\n

Measles<\/a> spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. The virus can remain in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours after that person leaves the area, according to the department.<\/p>\n

Common symptoms include:<\/p>\n

High feverCoughRunny noseRed, watery eyesA rash that begins on the head and spreads downward<\/p>\n

Symptoms can appear seven to 21 days after exposure. Measles can lead to serious complications, including hospitalization and death. <\/p>\n

\t\t\"measles<\/p>\n

\n\t\tNatalya Maisheva\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMeasles viral disease<\/p>\n

The department said local public health teams continue contact tracing for new cases, notifying people who may have been exposed and working to limit further spread.<\/p>\n

Anyone who believes they were exposed and are experiencing symptoms should contact a health care provider or call the Department of Health\u2019s toll-free hotline at 877-PA-HEALTH (877-724-3258). <\/p>\n

\t\t\"measles<\/p>\n

\n\t\tKATERYNA KON\/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMeasles virus<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Pennsylvania Department of Health has launched a new online measles dashboard to give families and communities more…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":244716,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[3643,4814,1057,40433,3685,104856,104855,104858,28,13432,30,29,12883,8991,55830,104857,1394,78],"class_list":["post-244715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pennsylvania","tag-case","tag-department","tag-health","tag-hospitalization","tag-lancaster-county","tag-many-measle","tag-measle-dashboard","tag-mmr","tag-pennsylvania","tag-pennsylvania-department","tag-pennsylvania-headlines","tag-pennsylvania-news","tag-resident","tag-shapiro-administration","tag-spread","tag-timely-information","tag-vaccination","tag-year"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=244715"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244715\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/244716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=244715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=244715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=244715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}