Lebanon and state officials are still urging residents to use caution and make sure they are properly vaccinated amid a measles outbreak in the county that continues to rise.
Over the past two months, the Pennsylvania Department of Health has identified 19 measles cases in Lebanon County, up from 12 cases the department reported in May. In total the department is reporting 64 confirmed cases in the commonwealth as of Friday, June 12, with Lancaster County reporting 31 cases.
“DOH is working closely with health care providers and local communities to directly combat this measles occurrence,” department representatives said in an email to the Lebanon Daily News. “DOH continues hosting targeted public health initiatives, such as a recent measles vaccination clinic where 67 residents received doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Additional vaccine clinics are currently planned for the region.”
Officials have said that many of the confirmed Lebanon County residents who’ve been diagnosed with measles were unvaccinated. Department officials reported on May 6 that, following the hospitalization of three individuals from Lebanon County with measles, staff conducted contact tracing and identified additional mild cases among other county residents.
Lebanon City Mayor Sherry Capello told the Lebanon Daily News that the city does not have confirmation about how many cases may or may not be located within the the city limits. But she added that city officials will be putting out another message about the importance of being vaccinated.
The overall risk to residents remains low because of high MMR vaccination rates across the commonwealth, according to state officials.
Based on vaccination data from Pennsylvania schools, nearly 94% of kindergarten students during the 2024-2025 school year had received the two doses of the MMR vaccine to prevent measles. Lebanon County’s 2024-2025 kindergarten MMR vaccination rate was 93.2%.
So far in 2026, state health center staff have administered more than 900 MMR vaccine doses to residents across Pennsylvania
“Because two doses of the vaccine are 97% effective at preventing infection, Pennsylvania’s robust baseline immunity is a critical line of defense that will help limit the number of cases compared to regions with lower vaccination coverage,” officials said.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention have stated that 2026 is on track to set a record of highest confirmed measles cases in the U.S. since it was eliminated nearly three decades ago. As of June 4, 2,030 confirmed measles cases were reported in the United States.
Symptoms typically begin 7 to 14 days after exposure and may include:
- High fever
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Red/watery eyes
- White spots inside the mouth
- Red blotchy rash beginning on the face and spreading downward
Officials said that symptoms generally last one to two weeks. The rash typically appears three to five days after the initial symptoms begin and may last five to six days.
Pennsylvanians who think they may have had measles in the past month are asked to call the Department of Health toll-free at 877-724-3258. Residents wanting to learn more about measles can visit the department’s measles webpage.
