Reedsville, PA – Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen convened a roundtable discussion with Mifflin County health care leaders Thursday to gather direct feedback and hear firsthand how the county is responding to Pennsylvania’s ongoing measles outbreak.
Mifflin County has experienced the second highest number of confirmed measles cases, behind Lancaster County, during Pennsylvania’s outbreak, with 193 cases in 2026.
Tragically, Mifflin County has experienced one measles-associated death.
“Our state metrics and data tell part of the story of the measles outbreak in Pennsylvania, but listening to the people on the ground caring for people in affected communities like Mifflin County is essential to refining our public health response,” said Dr. Bogen. “We hosted this roundtable to hear directly from health care providers about the challenges they are facing. Our goal is to deliver resources, communication tools, and vaccine accessibility to ensure Mifflin County providers have what they feel is needed to protect their families and bring this outbreak to an end.”
The roundtable brought together representatives from health care systems, emergency medical services (EMS), and the local school district to discuss what community members are seeing and hearing on the ground, identify gaps in public messaging, and address local challenges. This important conversation will help inform the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH)’s approach and support at the local level as it works together with communities to curb the spread of the measles virus – including increasing vaccination rates.
During the discussion, attendees discussed community sentiment, information channels, clinical response, school policies, and targeted outreach to diverse populations.
“One of the Department of Health’s core responsibilities is ensuring Pennsylvanians have access to accurate, actionable, and transparent health information so they can make informed decisions for themselves and their families,” said Dr. Bogen. “One of the most important strategies for building trust is recognizing that a state-level health agency cannot do this work alone. Pennsylvanians routinely turn to their local health care providers for guidance, and that is exactly why my team is equipping local health care providers with clear, research-backed information so they can lead genuine, non-judgmental conversations within their own communities where trust already exists.”
DOH will incorporate the feedback it received during the roundtable to improve its ongoing robust response to the measles outbreak.
Approximately 300 DOH staff are proactively working with residents, community organizations, and health care providers to combat the measles outbreak in the Commonwealth through access to fact-based information and access to the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
State health center staff have administered more than 6,500 MMR vaccinations at 226 pop-up vaccination clinics in the affected communities since the outbreak began in late April. Dozens of additional vaccine clinics are scheduled for the upcoming weeks and months, based on community interest and need. In pop-up clinics and at state health centers combined, DOH nurses have administered more than 10,300 MMR vaccine doses to residents across the Commonwealth in 2026.
Statewide, health care providers have also seen a surge of interest from residents seeking MMR vaccinations. In a typical month, Pennsylvania health care providers administer approximately 25,000 doses of the MMR vaccine. In September, more than 56,000 doses were administered. So far in the first three weeks of October, more than 39,000 MMR vaccines have been administered.
DOH also continues to work with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) professional staff to respond to the measles outbreak. The Department’s measles response team meets remotely every other week with the CDC measles response team. The teams jointly review cases, outbreak response, and public facing materials, among other areas, and convene additional calls as needed.
The best protection against measles remains getting fully vaccinated. The MMR vaccine, administered over two doses, boosts a person’s immune system and provides 97% lifetime protection.
Residents interested in getting vaccinated should contact their trusted health care provider.
MMR vaccine is available across the state by contacting a health care provider, county or municipal health department, DOH State Health Center, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), or a Vaccines for Children (VFC) program.
For more information about the measles outbreak, updated case, hospitalization, and death, as well as how to get vaccinated, visit pa.gov/measles or call DOH’s toll-free hotline at 877-PA-HEALTH (877-724-3258).
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