أمريكا: تسجيل أول حالتي وفاة بالحصبة في 2026

The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed today that the first two deaths from measles in the country were recorded in 2026, amid a rise in the number of infections with the disease coinciding with a decline in vaccination rates.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced in a statement the deaths of two residents of Lancaster County who had not received the vaccine against the disease, due to their infection with measles, confirming that they are the first two deaths attributed to measles reported this year, and the first in the state in 35 years.

The two deaths follow the deaths of three people, including two children, due to measles in 2025 when it began to spread, amid accusations against Robert Kennedy Jr., the health secretary in the administration of President Donald Trump, of significantly contributing to its exacerbation by fueling vaccine-related fears.

Following the announcement of the two deaths, Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said in a statement: "In 2026, after decades of eliminating measles in the United States, it is painful to see deaths from a preventable disease for which a widely used vaccine has been available since the 1970s," adding, "Pediatricians urge our leaders to promote vaccination to stop the spread of measles," referring to the vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella.

For its part, the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated in recent data that the country recorded more than 2,770 confirmed cases of measles this year, surpassing the number of cases recorded last year, which was 2,289, although it has not recorded such a number of measles cases since 1991, when 9,643 cases were reported.

This disease was considered highly contagious in 2000 and was eradicated from the United States thanks to vaccination, but it has returned strongly in recent years, amid declining vaccination rates and increasing distrust in health authorities.