A young child in southwestern Wisconsin has died from measles, representing the state's first fatality of the disease in 36 years since 1990, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced on November 5, 2026. The local coroner determined that measles was the immediate cause of the child's death. State health officials did not release the infant's age, gender, exact municipality, or vaccination status to protect the family's privacy.
"My heart is broken for the family," said Kirsten Johnson, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. "Any death of a child is a tragedy and even more so when it is related to a vaccine-preventable disease."
Outbreak Centered in Southwest Counties
Wisconsin has recorded 431 confirmed measles cases across 13 counties during 2026, reaching Wisconsin's highest total number of infections in more than three and a half decades. The agency noted that 428 of those patients—representing 99.3 percent—were unvaccinated, and nine people required hospital care. Most cases are concentrated in southwestern Wisconsin, led by Grant County with 142 cases, Lafayette County with 115, and Iowa County with 97.
Since August 1, 2026, state health authorities delivered 2,000 doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine to local agencies, and healthcare providers across the state gave out more than 42,000 shots. Officials instruct anyone displaying a fever and rash or suspected of exposure to isolate at home and telephone medical clinics before seeking in-person care.
