A fifth person in Pennsylvania has died with measles as the state experiences its worst outbreak of the disease in more than three decades. Pennsylvania had reported 943 measles cases as of Friday, with 40% of those cases in Lancaster County, the epicenter of the state’s outbreak. As cases s urge, health workers in Montgomery County are bringing the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to community vaccine clinics. The county has previously offered COVID-19 and seasonal flu vaccines at clinics, but this year it is also offering the MMR vaccine. “We have never given MMR at clinics like this before,” Kalyn Roberts, with the Montgomery County Department of Health, said. Unlike flu and COVID-19, measles does not change, so not everyone needs another shot. Dr. Ronald Goren, an infectious disease specialist for St. Mary Medical Center and Nazareth Hospital, said people should first check their medical records to determine whether they are protected. “Okay, so bottom line is, if you know you had measles and technically if you can prove that you had two shots, you’re immune,” Goren said. Goren said people born before 1957 are likely to have had measles, while people born between 1957 and the mid-1980s should determine whether they received a second vaccine. “If you are born before 1957, almost everybody had measles, including myself, although at some point they said if you’re a healthcare worker and you’re around an epidemic, maybe you want to check because it’s been a long time. “And if you were born between 1957 and somewhere in the mid 80s, when they decided to give two vaccines, if you never had a second shot, you probably ought to get a second shot,” Goren said. Goren said another option is to ask a doctor for a measles titer, a blood test that can help determine immunity. “But the other way you can find out if you have measles, and it’s not that hard, is have your doctor send you to LabCorp or Quest and do a measles titer.” Goren said. Goren said Lancaster County’s outbreak is largely tied to the area’s unvaccinated population. He also recalled a previous measles outbreak in southeastern Pennsylvania in which many children became severely ill. “If you get it in your late teens and 20s, you really can get very sick,” Goren said. Montgomery County is holding eight vaccine clinics this month, with more scheduled this weekend. Health officials said cost should not prevent people from receiving a vaccine at the clinics. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less