Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak has sparked renewed controversy after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. publicly clashed with Governor Josh Shapiro over Kennedy’s past comments opposing vaccination. As news of the state’s measles-related deaths emerged, Kennedy shared unverified claims on social media, suggesting—without evidence—that officials may have fabricated the death toll and that the governor announced the fatalities with “giddy glee.”
State health officials initially declined to disclose details about the two people who died, including their ages, citing privacy concerns. However, reports later confirmed that one victim was a newborn baby. According to a Tuesday report in The New York Times, the second victim was also a child. Both victims were unvaccinated and lived in Lancaster County. Public health experts have criticized the limited information released by authorities, warning that the lack of transparency can create an opening for suspicion and measles misinformation.
What We Know About the Pennsylvania Measles Deaths
The controversy intensified after Lancaster County Coroner Stephen Diamantoni, a Republican first elected in 2007, said a pathologist determined that the newborn died from a ruptured spleen and did not believe measles was the direct cause of death. Medical testing found that the baby was born infected with the measles virus, with evidence of measles infection present in lung tissue. The baby’s mother also contracted measles around the time of delivery and became seriously ill. The Atlantic reported that journalists spoke with the baby’s parents as questions surrounding the death intensified.
The Amish parents said they had not expected their baby’s death to become national news or a subject of political controversy. They believed their child had died from measles complications. The mother said she contracted the virus after several children in the community became sick during the ongoing outbreak. Her condition deteriorated rapidly: she could barely speak above a whisper and had “didn’t have a sliver of energy” when she went into labor. The baby was born with a pulse but was not breathing. According to his parents, paramedics attempted to provide oxygen and perform chest compressions, but the boy was pronounced dead less than 30 minutes after emergency responders were called.
Source: arstechnica.com