2 people die from measles in Pennsylvania
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Two unvaccinated people died from the measles in Pennsylvania, marking the first deaths the state has seen in 35 years and the first in the country this year.
Both people were residents of Lancaster County, the heart of the state’s Amish population, but officials did not disclose any additional information. Pennsylvania has confirmed 393 measles cases in 28 counties this year, including 86 in the past week.
Across the country, five people have died from measles in the past two years, more than the past 30 years combined .
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) said he confronted Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about the federal government’s role in spreading misinformation that he said is contributing to declining vaccination rates.
“I was very, very blunt with him, and I made very clear that his actions and the rhetoric that’s coming from this administration are having a negative impact on communities across America, particularly right here in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said.
“There’s real-life consequences to scaring people and not relying on actual doctors and actual medical professionals to provide unbiased information to parents so that we can make reasonable decisions for our kids,” he added.
The measles surge has hit at the same time as the Trump administration is taking steps to reduce and space out the number of childhood vaccinations, including an executive order to split up the combination measles, mumps and rubella vaccine— something pediatricians say is dangerous and that would result in fewer vaccinations.
President Trump falsely said the combined MMR shot was “lethal,” and both Trump and Kennedy have falsely insinuated t hat an increase in the number of childhood vaccines is linked to a rise in autism rates.
Kennedy has acknowledged that “the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine” but has also falsely said it has not been safety tested, and that it offers only short-term protection that wanes quickly.
In a contentious CNN interview earlier this month, Kennedy said he takes no responsibility for the country’s measles outbreaks and blamed COVID-19 “lockdowns” for declining vaccination rates.
The New York Times reported that Kennedy spoke in Lancaster County five years ago when he was the leader of Children’s Health Defense, one of the country’s most prominent anti-vaccine groups .
Kennedy reportedly downplayed the severity of measles infections and warned members of the Amish community that public health agencies will force them to vaccinate.
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