Wisconsin Reports First Infant Measles Death Since 1990

An infant associated with the measles outbreak in southwestern Wisconsin has died, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services said Thursday, calling it the first death of that kind reported in the state since 1990.

A coroner listed measles as the immediate cause of death, according to the DHS release. The agency said it would not release further details about the child or the family to protect their privacy. DHS Secretary Kirsten Johnson said in the statement that any child death is a tragedy, “even more so when it is related to a vaccine-preventable disease,” and urged residents to check their risk and vaccination status.

Case count and response

As of Nov. 3, DHS reported 431 measles cases in 13 counties in 2026, the highest number in more than 35 years, the release said. Nine people have been hospitalized for severe symptoms. DHS cautioned that not everyone who becomes ill seeks care or testing, so the published count may understate spread.

Wisconsin Public Radio reported that most cases have been linked to Grant, Iowa, Lafayette and Vernon counties, with other infections tied to out-of-state travel, and that more than 99 percent of cases have been in people who were not vaccinated. WPR also reported that Dr. Ryan Westergaard, the state’s chief medical officer for communicable diseases, said Thursday the state is recommending an early MMR dose for infants ages 6 to 11 months who face increased exposure risk in the outbreak.

Vaccination push

Since Aug. 1, DHS said it has delivered 2,000 MMR doses to local health departments in communities with confirmed cases, and health care providers in Wisconsin have administered more than 42,000 MMR doses in that period. The agency said two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are about 97 percent effective at preventing measles. WISN, citing the same DHS figures, reported the outbreak update alongside the death announcement.

Developing: DHS said reported case totals may not capture the full extent of spread while response work with local and Tribal health departments continues.

Sources: Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Wisconsin Public Radio, WISN