Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) confirmed a Lancaster County resident tested positive for measles and may have exposed others at the Lancaster County Courthouse, 50 North Duke Street, Lancaster, PA 17608 on June 3 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The individual primarily visited the courthouse’s Marriage License Office but may have come in contact with others while moving through the courthouse building. DOH has instructed the individual to isolate at home while they are contagious. Individuals who are not vaccinated are most at-risk for infection.
The Department of Health is working with staff and community members at the Lancaster County Courthouse to connect anyone who may have been exposed to resources so they can protect themselves and their families. For privacy reasons, the Department cannot provide explicit details about the person with measles. Again, individuals who are not vaccinated are most at-risk for infection.
“The best protection against measles is to get vaccinated,” said Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen. “Two measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine doses protect you from measles and from spreading it to your family and community. People who may have been exposed at the Lancaster County Courthouse should contact their health care provider if they develop signs of sickness. These simple actions will help protect you and your community from this disease.”
It is important for Pennsylvanians to know that the overall risk to residents remains low because of high MMR vaccination rates across the Commonwealth. Based on data from the 2024–2025 school year, nearly 94% of Pennsylvania kindergarten students had received both required doses of the MMR vaccine. Measles is a disease that infects the lungs and breathing passages like the nose, mouth, and throat, and spreads throughout the body. It is highly contagious and spreads to other people when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. The virus remains in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours even after the infected person leaves the area.
DOH is working closely with health care providers and local communities to prevent the spread of measles. DOH continues hosting targeted public health initiatives, such as measles vaccination clinics.
As part of its broader measles response, DOH is focusing on health care provider education and community protection. The Department recently issued a Health Alert Network message to health care providers outlining the signs and symptoms of measles and reminding clinicians to encourage patients to stay up to date on their vaccinations.
So far in 2026, DOH state health center staff have administered more than 900 MMR vaccine doses to residents across the Commonwealth in addition to thousands of doses provided by other health care providers across the state.
Symptoms to watch for include fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis), followed by a rash that starts on the head and spreads downward. Without proper protection or supportive care, measles can be deadly. Symptoms can start 7 to 21 days after exposure. The only way to prevent measles is with the MMR vaccine.
People who believe they were exposed to measles and are experiencing symptoms should contact their health care provider or call the Department’s toll-free hotline at 877-PA-HEALTH (877-724-3258). All residents are encouraged to monitor for symptoms.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people most at-risk are:
- People who are unvaccinated;
- Infants less than one year old who are too young to have received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine; and
- People from parts of the world where there is low vaccination coverage or where there is circulating measles.
More information on measles is available on DOH’s measles webpage.
# # #