It's a "matter of time" before Pittsburgh sees measles cases, doctor says
The Pennsylvania measles outbreak isn't slowing down, and one local doctor said Pittsburgh is not immune.
Pittsburgh infectious disease doctor Amesh Adalja said it would be foolish to think places like Allegheny County are completely resilient.
"I think it's only a matter of time before there are cases in Pittsburgh," Adalja said. "It could already be in Allegheny County and Pittsburgh and just hasn't been diagnosed."
He said case numbers are likely underestimated because many don't get diagnosed.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, as of Monday, there have been 232 cases reported this year, 57 of them in the last seven days, with the majority in Lancaster. Last week, Indiana County was added to the list with three cases, showing the outbreak inching closer to the area.
"For people who think that this isn't something that can impinge on their network, it's going to impinge on everyone's network. This is what it looks like when a highly contagious disease reestablishes itself," Adalja said.
At the end of last month, 2026 officially became the worst year for measles in the U.S. since 1991, and the country is on the verge of losing its measles-free designation declared in 2000 come November. It's because vaccination rates have fallen below the 95% coverage required to prevent outbreaks.
"Our people are sliding backwards and choosing to turn away from a technology that kept everyone safe from measles for what? For no reason," Adalja said.
As kids get ready to go back to school, he said it's important for parents to understand their school immunization level, now available on the state's website.
He said any grades below 95% are in a danger zone where it will take just one infected person to start an outbreak and disrupt the start of the school year.
Those include kindergarten classes at Penn Hills Elementary with 67.7% vaccinated for MMR, at Pittsburgh Concord with 74.7%, and at Turtle Creek Elementary Stream Academy with 78.9%, among several others.
If Adalja can send one message, he urges families to vaccinate when they can at 12 to 15 months of age.
"The solution to stopping measles from spreading in Pennsylvania, in Allegheny County, or anywhere in the world is a simple one," Adalja said.
