Wisconsin Infant Dies of Measles, Third U.S. Death in One Week

An infant in Wisconsin has died of measles, the state health department announced Thursday. It is the state's first measles death since 1990 and the third reported in the United States this week, according to NBC News and CNN. State health departments have now reported eight measles deaths nationwide this year, ABC News reported.

The state is urging residents to check their vaccination status and has updated its guidance to let some babies get a first vaccine dose earlier than usual.

What Wisconsin officials said about the death

The health department said a coroner listed measles as the infant's immediate cause of death. CNN reported that the department will not release further details about the child, citing the family's privacy.

Health Secretary Kirsten Johnson said in a statement, “My heart is broken for the family.” She added that the death of any child is a tragedy, and more so when a vaccine-preventable disease is involved. She urged residents to assess their own risk and take steps to protect their families.

Why it matters for families with young children

Measles is especially dangerous for babies and young children, whose immune systems may not be developed enough to fight it, according to NBC News. The CDC estimates that roughly 1 to 3 out of every 1,000 children with measles die from respiratory and neurological complications. CNN reported that children younger than 5, people with weak immune systems and people who are pregnant face a higher risk of severe disease.

Babies are often too young to be protected. The first dose of the MMR vaccine is typically given around a child's first birthday. Wisconsin's health department now recommends an early dose for certain infants between 6 and 11 months old who face increased exposure risk during the outbreak. Dr. Stephanie Schauer, the department's immunization program director, said around 500 early doses have been given since August, according to NBC News.

The CDC recommends two MMR doses, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between ages 4 and 6, ABC News reported. The agency says one dose is 93% effective at preventing infection and two doses are 97% effective.

None of the eight people who have died this year were vaccinated, according to state health departments cited by NBC News. Some were ineligible because of their age or health status.

How the Wisconsin outbreak has grown

Wisconsin has recorded 431 cases in 13 counties this year, the most in the state in more than 35 years, according to ABC News and CNN. Nine people have been hospitalized. In 2025, the state had 36 cases, CNN reported. The health department cautions that the true number is almost certainly higher because not everyone who falls ill seeks medical care.

The pattern of spread has shifted. CNN reported that most past cases were tied to international travel, while current cases are spreading through travel within the U.S. and through contact with relatives and others in the community. Schauer said some chains of transmission began when residents traveled out of state for events such as funerals and weddings, NBC News reported.

Vaccination coverage is a central concern. About 85% of Wisconsin kindergartners are vaccinated against measles, below the national average of 92%, according to NBC News. Experts say 95% is needed to keep a population protected. Dr. Ryan Westergaard, the state epidemiologist for communicable diseases, said the virus is spreading because enough people remain susceptible for it to keep finding new hosts, according to CNN. The health department has also sent 2,000 additional vaccine doses to local health departments in recent months.

The national picture

The CDC has confirmed 4,852 measles cases in the U.S. this year, more than double last year's count and the most since 1991, NBC News reported. Infections have appeared in almost every state, according to ABC News. ABC also reported that at least 96% of this year's cases were in people who were unvaccinated or whose status was unknown.

The eight deaths include six in Pennsylvania, one in New York and one in Wisconsin. Pennsylvania reported its sixth on Wednesday, involving an unvaccinated resident of Jefferson County. New York announced the death of a child in Lewis County on Monday. According to NBC News, the CDC has confirmed four of the eight deaths and says it will update its count as reviews are completed.

Reports also differ on a possible ninth case. NBC News reported that a Franklin County, Pennsylvania, coroner cited an additional death last month possibly linked to measles, but the state health department has not confirmed any measles-associated deaths in that county.

Pennsylvania's outbreak, which began in April, is the largest in the country, with a case total approaching 1,500 across 45 counties, NBC News reported. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a statewide disaster emergency over measles in early October.

What happens next

Measles has been considered eliminated in the U.S. since 2000, meaning the virus no longer circulates continuously. The Pan American Health Organization, part of the World Health Organization, will meet next week to decide whether the U.S. should lose that status, according to NBC News and CNN.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by ABC News, NBC News, CNN