Pennsylvania’s Public-Health Officials May Be Wrong About a Measles Death
Measles outbreaks around the country are already a disaster, but more bad news arrived on Tuesday. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced that two measles-associated deaths had occurred in Lancaster County. “These mark the first deaths related to measles within the Commonwealth in 35 years,” an accompanying statement declared. Both individuals were said to have been unvaccinated, but the state Health Department declined to release any other information about the cases, citing privacy concerns.
TL;DR
- Pennsylvania officials announced two measles-associated deaths in Lancaster County, which would be the first in 35 years.
- A county commissioner and the coroner questioned the official cause of death, suggesting one individual died 'with' measles, not 'from' it.
- In one case, an infant died from a lacerated spleen, a cause not directly linked to measles by a forensic pathologist, although measles can enlarge the spleen.
- The state Health Department uses the term 'measles-associated death' when measles is present but not necessarily the immediate cause.
- Critics suggest officials may have prematurely announced the deaths, potentially politicizing the event and emboldening vaccine skeptics.