All articles tagged with #pennsylvania
Measles deaths in Pennsylvania ignite a political dispute as public health officials and politicians debate vaccines amid the U.S.’s worst measles year since 1991, with Gov. Josh Shapiro criticizing federal rhetoric and advocates urging immunization.
Pennsylvania’s first measles deaths in 35 years have become a partisan flashpoint after a newborn who tested positive for measles died soon after birth; officials say the autopsy found the immediate cause to be a ruptured spleen potentially linked to measles, while anti‑vaccine activists and some public officials question the attribution, fueling a clash between Gov. Josh Shapiro and RFK Jr. over vaccine policy and public health narratives.
Two unvaccinated Lancaster County residents, including a newborn, died after measles; PA officials confirmed the deaths and the CDC is reviewing causation as a measles outbreak continues, while RFK Jr. questions the deaths and public health officials, including Gov. Shapiro, push vaccination amid efforts to curb misinformation.
Two measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania trigger a contentious exchange between Governor Josh Shapiro and health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with Shapiro accusing Kennedy of spreading vaccine misinformation and rejecting federal help, while Kennedy claims the outbreak is being politicized—highlighting how vaccine debates are shaping public health policy and politics.
Lancaster County’s coroner says the newborn died from internal hemorrhage due to a ruptured spleen shortly after birth and cannot conclusively attribute the death to measles, even though measles virus was found in lung tissue; investigators are continuing, while health officials maintain the case is measles-associated amid a PA measles outbreak in which most victims are unvaccinated. The state has reported two measles deaths this year, the first in 35 years, as cases continue nationwide.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro declined to share more details about two measles-associated deaths, citing patient privacy, prompting RFK Jr. to allege a fabrication and fueling a partisan debate over death attribution and public health messaging as the CDC reviews the case.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine skeptic, suggested on X that Pennsylvania’s two measles deaths may have been fabricated by Gov. Josh Shapiro’s team; PA Health Secretary Debra Bogen confirmed the deaths and defended the epidemiological findings amid a broader rise in measles cases, with 2,777 cases reported nationwide in 2026 so far.
Pennsylvania health officials say an infant is one of two measles-related deaths in Lancaster County, the center of a major outbreak; while both agencies confirm the child tested positive for measles, the immediate cause of death is under review and may be linked to a ruptured spleen, with experts noting measles deaths typically result from complications such as pneumonia or encephalitis.
Police in Upper Pottsgrove Township, Pennsylvania fatally shot 22-year-old Glenwood Pysher IV after he mistakenly approached a home he believed belonged to a friend; he was unarmed and on a FaceTime call with friends when officers arrived to a report of a possible break-in. The Montgomery County Detective Bureau is investigating the shooting for the district attorney, with the family saying information from authorities has been scarce. Pysher, about to start his senior year at St. Elizabeth University, had been out with friends earlier and was trying to meet them when he realized he was at the wrong house.
While in Florida, RFK Jr. questioned two reported measles deaths in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and suggested data gaps; Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro pushed back, citing doctors’ support for vaccines, while the CDC posted condolences for the deaths. The scene highlights Kennedy’s anti‑vaccine messaging amid ongoing vaccine policy debates, including Florida’s moves on school vaccination requirements.
Pennsylvania officials say two unvaccinated people died from measles in Lancaster County, including an infant—the state’s first measles deaths in 35 years and the first in the U.S. this year, as cases nationwide continue to rise.
The father of a college student killed by police in Pennsylvania says his son, described as kindhearted, was at the wrong address when he was shot; authorities have provided little information, leaving the family seeking answers and closure, including reclaiming his shoes for burial.
An infant is one of two people who died from measles in Pennsylvania, marking the U.S.’s first measles deaths this year and Pennsylvania’s first in 35 years. Both victims were unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County, where MMR vaccination rates have fallen (from 95.5% in 2017 to 87.6% last year). Pennsylvania has 424 measles cases this year with 73 hospitalizations and 94 new cases in the past week. Health officials warn that infants aged 6–11 months are especially vulnerable before their first MMR dose (12–15 months), and some outbreaks have led to early vaccination in exposed infants elsewhere. Nationwide, 2,777 measles cases have been confirmed this year—the most in 35 years—with the Pan American Health Organization expected to decide in November whether the U.S. has lost its elimination status.
Amid Pennsylvania’s measles deaths, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. blamed a Biden-era erosion of trust in medicine for a national drop in measles vaccinations, while Gov. Josh Shapiro pushed back and urged vaccination; the piece also notes Florida’s proposed vaccine-rule changes and a Trump-era push for science-based schedules as part of the broader political debate on public health and parental choice.
Two unvaccinated residents in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, have died from measles, marking the first U.S. deaths this year as the nation faces its worst outbreak since 1991 with 2,777 cases. Health officials warn about the disease’s potential severity amid declining vaccination rates and ongoing political debates over vaccines. Pennsylvania has about 400 cases this year, with roughly 35,000 people vaccinated in response to the surge.