Issue 1898: October 14, 2026

On October 5, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) reported that an unvaccinated child died in September from complications of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) infection. DPHHS is not releasing the child’s age, sex, or county of residence. Invasive Hib disease is extremely rare, with U.S. cases declining by more than 99% since licensure of a highly effective infant vaccine in 1989. The most recent final surveillance report from CDC listed only 14 cases of Hib in all age groups in 2024. Only Hib is vaccine-preventable; almost all Haemophilus influenzae disease is caused by other types or non-typeable strains.

State Medical Officer Douglas Harrington, MD, said in an article published by the Daily Montanan that the death is a reminder that these diseases still exist “and can have devastating consequences.” He urged parents to work with their child’s healthcare provider to stay up to date on all recommended vaccines, including Hib.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) schedules recommend a routine 2- or 3-dose primary Hib vaccine series (depending on product) beginning at age 2 months, with a final booster dose at age 12–15 months. Unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated children younger than age 5 years should get a catch-up dose. Some older children and adults with certain medical conditions, such as those who have had a stem cell transplant, also need Hib vaccine. 

Related Links

• DPHHS: Montana Reports Pediatric Death from Hib Infection (10/5/26)
• Daily Montanan: Child Dies from Bacterial Infection, State Health Department Reports (10/5/26)
• LetsGetRealAboutVaccines.org: Hib (Haemophilus Influenzae Type B) web page
• VaccineInformation.org: Hib (Haemophilus Influenzae Type B) web page

In the United States, for the week reported on October 9, influenza activity remains low but is increasing in several parts of the country. In the United Kingdom, emergency department visits for influenza-like illness are above seasonally expected levels. In Japan, influenza activity began rising in August, the second-earliest start since record-keeping began in 1999, and outbreaks closed some schools as students returned from summer break.

Influenza activity is increasing, so don't put off vaccination. Vaccination generally takes 2 weeks to induce immunity, so act now. Use simultaneous vaccination or make a plan to get up to date with other respiratory vaccines needed: COVID-19, and, if eligible, pneumococcal and RSV vaccines.

The map below shows the general levels of influenza-like illness activity across the states as of October 3.

The graph below shows the trends in the percent of positive tests for COVID-19 (orange: no recent increase), influenza (blue: rising), and RSV (maroon: negligible activity).



Respiratory Illness Data Channel
CDC's Respiratory Illness Data Channel web page shows a snapshot of the amount of acute respiratory illness (ARI) causing people to seek health care in the United States. Local data are available by state or territory and by county. CDC reports:

• COVID-19: activity remains elevated in some regions but is declining nationally
• Influenza: activity increasing in many parts of the country but remains low
• RSV: activity very low in most areas of the country
• Rhinovirus/enterovirus (RV/EV): activity increasing nationally

How to Find a Vaccine

VaccineInformation.org, Immunize.org's website designed for the general public, offers the Where to Get Vaccinated web page. On this page, you will find directories and vaccine finder tools published by various organizations, including manufacturers, to help you locate a convenient place to access vaccinations now.

Those who may have used or promoted the federal website Vaccines.gov, to locate vaccination sites in the past should be aware that it is not functional, and its Spanish-language counterpart, Vacunas.gov, is no longer available.

Related Links

• CDC: Weekly National Flu Vaccination Dashboard main page
• CDC: FluView main page
• CDC: RESP-NET main page
• Immunize.org: Clinical Resources: Seasonal Vaccines (Influenza, RSV, COVID-19) main page

As of October 7, 2026, the U.S. Measles Tracker, operated by Johns Hopkins University (JHU), reported 4,267 measles cases for 2026. Through October 8, 2026, CDC reported 4,080 confirmed cases.

On October 7, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 1,078 confirmed measles cases across 41 of its 67 counties in 2026, including 207 hospitalizations and five measles-associated deaths. Only four cases (less than 1%) occurred in vaccinated people.

Adults continue to drive Pennsylvania’s outbreak. Only 32% of cases involved children younger than age 18, and most cases were in people age 25–49. Pennsylvania’s vaccination providers gave more than 56,000 MMR doses in September, more than twice the typical monthly total of about 25,000. Adults with only one documented dose of MMR, or without vaccination records, should talk with a healthcare provider about vaccination.

Measles activity is also prompting action beyond Pennsylvania. On October 5, New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state disaster emergency in response to outbreaks in rural areas of New York and neighboring states, where 108 cases have been confirmed. This declaration allows the state to immediately expand its network of vaccine administrators, adding paramedics, advanced emergency medical service providers, midwives, and pharmacists, as well as adding the flexibility for registered nurses to order measles testing.

The graph below, published at the JHU U.S. Measles Tracker website, illustrates how quickly 2026 cases are outstripping the pace set in 2025.

• CDC: Measles Cases and Outbreaks main page
• Immunize.org: Vaccines A–Z: Measles main page
• LetsGetRealAboutVaccines​.org: Measles web page
• CDC: Be Ready for Measles Toolkit 
• AAP: Immunization Facts for Families (MMR) (PDF)

This week, our featured episode from the Ask the Experts Video Series is titled Does a Patient’s Report of Past Measles Infection Count as Proof of Immunity? The video explains that a personal history of measles, mumps, or rubella is not acceptable proof of immunity. Acceptable proof for school-aged children, college students, international travelers, and healthcare workers is written documentation of two MMR doses (for measles and mumps) or, for rubella, at least one rubella-containing dose or a positive antibody blood test. People born before 1957 are generally considered immune. Healthcare facilities may require workers of all ages to show proof of vaccination or immunity to prevent workplace transmission.

The 1-minute video is available on our YouTube channel, along with our full collection of quick video answers to popular Ask the Experts questions.



Like, follow, and share Immunize.org’s social media accounts and encourage colleagues and others interested in vaccination to do likewise.

• Facebook at ImmunizeOrg
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• Immunize.org: Ask the Experts: all MMR-related video questions (2 videos)

Journalists seek out Immunize.org experts to help explain vaccines to the public and policy makers. We help the media understand and communicate the complex work vaccinators do. Here is a recent citation.

• New York Times: Texas Pediatricians Face Paxton Investigations for Vaccinating Children (10/5/26) 

These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.

• The Guardian: Controversial Vaccine Trial Touted by RFK Jr Gets Go-Ahead in Guinea-Bissau (10/9/26)
• Medical Xpress: Value-Aligned Messages Increased COVID-19 Vaccination Intentions, Study Finds (10/8/26) 
• Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance: Eight Numbers That Explain the Impact of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance in 2025 (10/7/26)
• Washington Post: Pennsylvania’s Measles Outbreak Looks Scary. Doctors Say the Reality Is Worse. (10/6/26)
• Washington Post: Measles Can Erase up to 73 Percent of Your Immune System’s Memory (10/5/26)
• New York Times: Measles Outbreak in Amish Country Forces Some to Rethink Vaccines (10/4/26)