Pennsylvania’s Measles Outbreak Is Enormous
The two latest deaths suggest that the true number of infections is much larger than reported.
TL;DR
- Pennsylvania has reported four measles-associated deaths since mid-August.
- Two of the recent deaths were infants too young to be vaccinated.
- Anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has questioned the legitimacy of the deaths, suggesting fabrication.
- Officials and coroners have confirmed measles as the cause of death, even in individuals with underlying health conditions.
- Measles cases are rising, with 693 reported in Pennsylvania, and herd immunity levels falling below the necessary 95% in some areas.
- The U.S. last experienced four measles deaths in a calendar year in 1992, prior to the disease's elimination in 2000.
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to promote anti-vaccine sentiments and downplay the risks of measles.
- Overall kindergarten vaccination rates have declined since the coronavirus pandemic.