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Pennsylvania has reported more than 1,350 measles cases in 2026, with over a third in Lancaster County, according to state figures cited by MedPage Today. Clinics serving Amish and Mennonite communities say some residents are more open to vaccination, while skepticism persists; one outreach effort has given about 450 measles shots.
Some Amish and Mennonite residents in Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County are showing greater openness to measles vaccination as the state confronts more than 1,350 reported cases this year, according to state figures cited by MedPage Today. A local nonprofit says its clinics have administered about 450 measles shots to Plain-community residents, though vaccine attitudes remain mixed and community leaders say the official case count may understate the outbreak.
Lancaster County, home to the country’s largest Amish population, has recorded more than a third of Pennsylvania’s cases, according to state figures in the report. The state has also recorded five measles-associated deaths: three in Lancaster County and two elsewhere. Community leaders believe the reported case total is an undercount because some people with measles do not seek medical care; the scale of any undercount is not established.
Union Community Care, a nonprofit with clinics in Lancaster and surrounding towns, has held small vaccine clinics and operates a mobile outreach program called Plain Healthy. Its chief medical officer, Anne-Marie Derrico, said the clinics had provided about 450 measles vaccinations. The organization is also offering infants vaccination earlier than the routine schedule, following health experts’ advice for areas experiencing outbreaks.
The change in attitudes is not uniform. Some Plain-community members are accepting vaccination after seeing relatives or neighbors become ill; others continue to oppose it. The report describes one farmer who chose to get vaccinated after adult siblings contracted measles, while another Amish farmer said he still opposed vaccines after caring for his sick young twins. These interviews illustrate different views, not a measured community-wide shift.
Outbreak Crosses Community Lines
Measles exposure is not confined to one community. Amish and Mennonite residents regularly shop, work, attend activities and interact with people from the wider population. Health workers say those connections make it difficult to treat the outbreak as an isolated problem. Anne-Marie Derrico of Union Community Care said Plain patients come into the city, while city residents who are not vaccinated share schools and other programs with children from Plain communities.
The outbreak also matters because measles can cause serious complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis, and can be fatal. Although many cases are mild, infections can spread through everyday contact. Local clinics’ reported vaccinations provide a concrete example of outreach, but the available information does not establish how much those shots have changed transmission or overall vaccination coverage.
Doctors told MedPage Today that reported case numbers in Pennsylvania had fallen from a September peak, but some expect transmission could rise again as winter brings more indoor gatherings. That is a forecast, not confirmation of a new increase. The changing views described in Lancaster County may affect local protection, while falling vaccination rates among the general public add to the risk of spread beyond the area.
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Why Lancaster Became a Hotspot
Measles was considered eliminated from the United States in 2000, but outbreaks remain possible when the virus reaches communities where vaccination rates are low. The report says vaccination has long been less common among Amish communities than among the general population, with practice and attitudes differing across families and congregations. It describes low uptake as often rooted in habit and culture rather than a formal religious prohibition.
Allen Hoover, an Old Order Mennonite and former administrator of the Parochial Medical Center in New Holland, said many residents were not opposed to vaccines as a matter of principle but had not previously chosen them. The report also traces some recent cooling in vaccine trust to reactions to strict COVID-19 public-health measures. These factors vary across individuals and communities, and the article does not provide a county-wide vaccination rate for Amish or Mennonite residents.
Trust-building takes time, Hoover said, advising medical workers to encourage vaccination rather than press it aggressively. Lancaster County’s mix of farms, towns and suburban areas means residents encounter one another regularly, despite differences in religious practice and technology use. That local pattern helps explain why clinics are directing outreach both to Plain communities and to the broader public.
““We are all interconnected.””
— Diego Hijano, a physician at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Case Totals and Vaccine Uptake
The true number of infections is unclear. Pennsylvania’s reported total is based on state figures, while community leaders say it misses people who did not seek medical care. The report does not give an alternative estimate or explain how many cases may be unreported. It also does not provide current vaccination coverage rates for Lancaster County’s Amish and Mennonite populations, or a comparison with earlier years.
It remains uncertain how widespread the reported new openness to vaccination is, whether it will persist, and how much the 450 shots given through Union’s outreach have affected transmission. The outbreak’s future course is also unsettled: reported cases had declined from their September peak, but the possibility of a winter rise is a forecast from some doctors, not a confirmed trend.
Clinics Continue Local Outreach
Union Community Care’s outreach and vaccination clinics are continuing, including early MMR vaccination for infants in the outbreak area as advised by health experts. The next indicators to watch are updated Pennsylvania case reports, any further deaths or clusters, and whether local clinics report additional vaccinations. The report does not give a schedule for those updates or a target for the outreach program.
Health workers will also need to maintain communication with Plain communities, where Hoover said trust develops over many years. The immediate outlook depends on whether transmission continues to decline or rises again during winter gatherings. No end date for the outbreak has been announced.
Key Questions
How many measles cases has Pennsylvania reported this year?
More than 1,350 cases, according to state figures cited by MedPage Today. More than a third were reported in Lancaster County. Community leaders say the official count may be low because some people with measles do not seek medical care, but no alternative total is provided.
Are Amish and Mennonite residents becoming more willing to get vaccinated?
Some are, but views remain mixed. The report includes examples of residents choosing vaccination after relatives became ill, alongside people who continue to oppose vaccines. It does not provide survey data showing how common either view is.
How many measles vaccinations has Union Community Care provided?
The nonprofit said its small-scale clinics had provided about 450 measles shots to reach Plain communities. The report does not say how many recipients were previously unvaccinated or quantify the effect on the outbreak.
Why are clinics vaccinating some infants earlier than usual?
Union Community Care is offering early vaccination to infants in an area experiencing a measles outbreak, following health experts’ advice described in the report. Families should consult a qualified health professional about vaccination timing for an individual child.
Could measles cases rise again in Pennsylvania?
Some doctors expect a possible winter increase because people may gather indoors more often. Pennsylvania’s reported cases had declined from a September peak, so a further rise remains a forecast rather than a confirmed development.
Source: medpagetoday.com
