Overview
- Pennsylvania’s Department of Health announced two measles-associated deaths in Lancaster County and said both decedents were unvaccinated.
- Lancaster County’s coroner said one case involved a newborn who tested positive but whose forensic autopsy attributed death to a lacerated spleen rather than measles.
- HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. publicly questioned the state’s announcement and suggested the deaths might be fabricated, amplifying political and public confusion.
- The CDC said it is investigating discrepancies, raised concerns that the Governor’s Office had not shared information and that offers of assistance were declined, a characterization the state disputes.
- Public-health experts warn the dispute and limited disclosure could hinder outbreak control as Pennsylvania records hundreds of cases concentrated in Lancaster and measles vaccination rates have fallen.