Pennsylvania Measles Deaths Follow Years Of Vaccine Resistance And Policy Fights
On Tuesday, August 25, 2026, the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced the state's first two measles-related deaths in 35 years, both in unvaccinated people from Lancaster County.[1]
State health officials reported 393 confirmed measles cases in 2026, occurring across 28 counties.[2] Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen warned that many Pennsylvanians are unfamiliar with measles' severity and urged MMR vaccination as the best protection.[1] Gov. Josh Shapiro said at an August 25 news conference that he declined an offer of support from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in responding to the outbreak.[3]
In July 2021, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke at an Amish country fair in Lancaster County and publicly praised the area's low childhood vaccine uptake, according to reporting.[3] Kennedy told the crowd measles was easily treated with "chicken soup and vitamin A" and advanced claims about MMR harms that public health groups have disputed.[3] After Kennedy became HHS secretary in February 2025, the department removed all sitting members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and altered vaccine recommendations, moves critics say weakened federal vaccine policy.[3]
Early mainstream coverage emphasized the outbreak and urged vaccination.[1] Later pieces more directly linked the deaths to years of anti-vaccine promotion and to policy changes tied to Kennedy, shifting some coverage from incident reporting to questions about federal and local vaccine policy.[3]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking record-high measles case counts nationally this year.[4] Infectious-disease experts quoted in coverage called the MMR vaccine extremely safe and urged vaccination as the best way to prevent further illness and deaths.[2]
The mainstream summary does not mention that as of August 20, 2026, the United States reported 2,777 confirmed measles cases, marking the highest annual total since 1991. This broader context underscores the severity of the outbreak in Pennsylvania and highlights a national trend of increasing measles cases that is not fully captured in the state-specific reporting. Additionally, Lancaster County's kindergarten MMR vaccination coverage was reported at only 85.8% for the 2025-26 school year, which is significantly below the threshold needed for herd immunity. This detail points to a systemic issue in vaccination rates that may have contributed to the outbreak and the tragic deaths, suggesting that the problem is not solely a result of recent policy changes under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. but reflects a longer-standing trend of vaccine hesitancy in the area.
While the mainstream coverage emphasizes the immediate response to the outbreak, it downplays the role of misinformation and historical vaccine resistance, particularly within the Amish community, which has been associated with low vaccination rates for years. Experts have noted that the politicization of public health and the erosion of trust in medical recommendations have been exacerbated by the pandemic, leading to a decline in routine vaccinations. This context is crucial for understanding the current crisis and the factors that have contributed to it, which are not fully addressed in the mainstream narrative.
Show source details & analysis (6 sources)
📊 Relevant Data
As of August 20, 2026, the United States reported 2,777 confirmed measles cases in 2026, the highest annual total since 1991.
In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, kindergarten MMR vaccination coverage stood at 85.8% for the 2025-26 school year.
Public can now search for vaccination rate data by school via interactive online tool — LancasterOnline
📌 Key Facts
- On Tuesday, August 25, 2026, the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced the state's first two measles-related deaths in 35 years — both were unvaccinated people from Lancaster County.
- State health officials reported a total of 393 confirmed measles cases in 2026, initially described as occurring across 29 counties and later refined to 28 counties.
- Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen warned that many Pennsylvanians are unfamiliar with measles' severity after decades without in-state deaths and urged MMR vaccination as the best protection.
- At a news conference on August 25, 2026, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Dr. Bogen addressed the outbreak; Shapiro said he declined an offer of support from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in responding to the state's measles cases.
- RFK Jr. previously praised Lancaster County’s low childhood vaccine uptake during a 2021 appearance, downplayed measles severity, made now‑disputed claims about MMR risks, and — as HHS secretary — has been criticized for actions critics say have weakened federal vaccine advisory and policy processes.
- Public‑health experts quoted in coverage say the MMR vaccine is “extremely safe and highly effective” and that the recent deaths reflect a declining valuation of vaccination; voices cited include Dr. Jesse Goodman and other infectious‑disease specialists.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking record‑high measles case counts nationally, a context officials cited when emphasizing the Pennsylvania deaths on August 26, 2026.
- National kindergarten measles‑vaccination coverage fell to 92.4% in 2025–26, below the 95% threshold commonly cited for herd immunity against measles.
📰 Source Timeline (6)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- On Wednesday, August 26, 2026, CBS reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking record-high measles case counts in the United States.
- The CBS segment reiterates that Pennsylvania has confirmed two measles-linked deaths, aligning with earlier state announcements but emphasizing them in the context of the CDC's record-high national case numbers.
- The piece features Dr. Céline Gounder providing additional medical context about the current measles situation and risks, framed around the Pennsylvania deaths and elevated national caseloads.
- PBS NewsHour's August 25, 2026 news wrap reiterates that two unvaccinated people in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, have died from measles, but does not add specifics beyond the already reported state announcement.
- The segment confirms the deaths as part of the day's national news summary but provides no new case counts, demographic details, or policy actions beyond prior coverage.
- On Tuesday, August 25, 2026, the Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed that both measles-related deaths in Lancaster County involved unvaccinated individuals, reiterating that the MMR vaccine is the best prevention.
- The department reported 393 confirmed measles cases in 28 counties so far in 2026, a refinement from earlier reporting that cited 393 cases across 29 counties.
- Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen issued a new public statement warning that many Pennsylvanians are unfamiliar with measles' severity after more than three decades without in-state deaths.
- The article includes additional expert commentary from former FDA chief scientist Dr. Jesse Goodman, who calls the MMR vaccine 'extremely safe and highly effective' and states there is no evidence it causes chronic illnesses including autism.
- Dr. Amesh Adalja of Johns Hopkins emphasizes that Pennsylvania's 35-year period without measles deaths was due to vaccine effectiveness, not luck, and links the current deaths to declining valuation of vaccination.
- On Tuesday, August 25, 2026, MS NOW reported that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not publicly commented on the two Lancaster County measles deaths but previously promoted anti-vaccine messages in the county.
- In 2021, while leading Children’s Health Defense, RFK Jr. spoke at an Amish country fair in Lancaster County, praising low childhood vaccine uptake, downplaying measles severity, and claiming measles was effectively cured with “chicken soup and vitamin A.”
- During that 2021 speech, Kennedy falsely alleged that 1 in 300 children given the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine developed seizure disorders and 1 in 1,000 developed lifetime epilepsy, assertions contradicted by established medical research and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
- Kennedy claimed in 2021 that pharmaceutical companies and federal health agencies hid supposed MMR harms to create “permanent customers,” and he portrayed the Amish as a “control group” supposedly free of autism, asserting that the CDC wanted to force them to vaccinate.
- MS NOW reports that as HHS secretary, Kennedy has overseen moves that “decimated” federal vaccine advisory groups, cut funding for new vaccine technologies, supported investigations by discredited vaccine researchers, and backed President Trump’s executive order limiting the number of childhood vaccines and changing MMR access in ways pediatric experts say will hinder vaccination.
- Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said at an August 25, 2026 news conference that he declined an offer of support from Kennedy in responding to the state’s measles outbreak.
- On Tuesday, August 25, 2026, the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced the state's first two measles-related deaths in 35 years, both in unvaccinated people from Lancaster County.
- The department reported 393 confirmed measles cases so far in 2026 across 29 Pennsylvania counties, indicating a substantial statewide outbreak.
- Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen warned that measles' long absence has left many Pennsylvanians unfamiliar with its severity and urged MMR vaccination as the best protection.
- Gov. Josh Shapiro and Dr. Bogen scheduled a news conference Tuesday morning, August 25, 2026, to address the measles deaths and outbreak.
- CBS reiterated that measles cases nationwide are at their highest levels in 35 years, and cited CDC data showing national kindergarten measles vaccination coverage fell to 92.4% in 2025–26, below the 95% herd-immunity threshold.