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LEWISTOWN -- Mifflin County accounted for nearly half of Pennsylvania's 74 new measles cases since Monday, adding 35 infections and raising its total to 153.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health's measles dashboard, only Lancaster County, with 401 cases, has reported more infections. Lancaster added 10 cases during the same period.
Mifflin County added nearly three times as many cases in two days as it did during the previous week. The county had 93 confirmed cases on Sept. 21, 106 on Sept. 28 and 118 on Monday. Its total has risen by 60 cases, or about 65%, since Sept. 21.
Pennsylvania has recorded 1,078 cases in 41 counties this year, up from 1,004 cases in 39 counties Monday. Allegheny and Juniata counties reported their first cases.
Hospitalizations increased from 198 to 207, while the number of measles-associated deaths remained at five. The dashboard lists 145 cases during the latest seven-day period, up from 106 on Monday.
Patients younger than 18 account for 33% of the statewide total, an increase from 32% Monday. Fewer than 1% of confirmed patients were fully vaccinated.
The department reported Monday that four vaccinated people, three adults and one child, had contracted measles during the outbreak. Each was appropriately vaccinated for age, and together they represented less than 1% of Pennsylvania's total.
State health officials continue to report community transmission in 12 counties: Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Indiana, Jefferson, Lancaster, Mifflin, Snyder, Somerset, Union, and York. The department updates the list each Monday and added Clarion County this week.
The department defines community transmission as continued spread across multiple generations outside the original household that can't be explained by a separate introduction of measles. The department says those counties may need additional measures, including catch-up vaccinations or early measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine doses.
Elsewhere in the region, Snyder County added four cases for a total of 45. Centre County added three for a total of 24, while Huntingdon County added one for a total of seven. Perry County remained at four.
Juniata County recorded its first confirmed case after remaining at zero throughout the outbreak. The dashboard doesn't identify individuals or provide municipal totals.
The Department of Health reports that its employees have administered 8,998 MMR vaccine doses in 2026, an increase of 155 since Monday. The total doesn't include every MMR dose administered across Pennsylvania.
In its Monday outbreak update, the department said health care providers administered more than 53,000 MMR doses statewide during September, more than twice the number given during a typical month. State health center staff have administered over 5,700 doses at 192 pop-up clinics in affected communities since the outbreak began in late April.
Two doses of the MMR vaccine provide about 97% protection against measles, according to health officials. Most people who receive the recommended doses are protected for life.
Measles spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. The virus can remain infectious in the air for as long as two hours after the person leaves. An infected person can spread the virus before developing a rash.
Symptoms usually appear seven to 14 days after exposure, but can take as long as 21 days. They include a high fever, cough, runny nose, red, watery eyes, and a rash.
The department hadn't posted a new public exposure notice as of Wednesday afternoon. The department updates the dashboard at 2 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.