Two unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, have died from measles, the Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed Tuesday, marking the state's first measles-related deaths in 35 years and the first reported measles deaths in the United States this year amid the country's largest outbreak of the disease in decades.

Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen confirmed the deaths during a media briefing held at Lancaster General Health's Women & Babies Hospital, declining to provide additional details about the victims, including their ages, in order to protect their families' privacy. "My deepest sympathies are with the loved ones who are facing this unimaginable loss," Bogen said in a statement.

Both individuals who died lived in Lancaster County, which has served as the epicenter of Pennsylvania's growing outbreak this year. As of Tuesday, the state had confirmed 393 measles cases across 28 counties, with roughly half of those cases concentrated in Lancaster County alone, according to Bogen. Of those, 86 cases were diagnosed within the past week, and approximately 20% of confirmed cases statewide have required hospitalization, with at least 70 people hospitalized so far for measles-related complications. Bogen noted that none of the confirmed cases in Pennsylvania this year have occurred in people who had received both recommended doses of the MMR vaccine.

Dr. Jeffrey Martin, a physician at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital, addressed the significance of the deaths during the briefing, emphasizing the disease's genuine potential severity. "These tragic deaths remind us that measles is not a harmless illness," Martin said. He also explained the choice of venue for the announcement.........

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