Overview
- The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced two “measles-associated” deaths and hundreds of cases concentrated in Lancaster County in late August, with the state saying both decedents were unvaccinated.
- Lancaster County’s coroner said one newborn tested positive for measles but died from a ruptured spleen and that he lacks clear information on the second reported death.
- The CDC removed the two Pennsylvania deaths from its weekly measles tally and said it is reviewing additional medical and cause-of-death information before adding them to the national count.
- HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. publicly questioned the state announcement and suggested fabrication, and the CDC said Pennsylvania declined offers of help—a claim the state has disputed and says it is in regular contact with federal officials.
- Public-health officials point to falling MMR vaccination coverage as a driver of the 2026 surge and warn that the political dispute over death reporting could erode trust, complicate vaccination outreach, and affect how cases and deaths are classified and counted.