Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have engaged in a public dispute over the announcement of two measles-associated deaths in the state. The exchange occurred on social media and during separate press conferences this week.
Shapiro criticized Kennedy and the Trump administration during a press conference Tuesday announcing the deaths. "His [Kennedy's] actions and the rhetoric that's coming from this administration are having a negative impact on communities across, particularly right here in Pennsylvania," Shapiro stated, adding that "there's real-life consequences to spreading misinformation."
Kennedy responded Wednesday, questioning the reported deaths. "We're trying to get information about those two... um ... casualties," he said at a press conference in Tampa, Florida. Pennsylvania health officials confirmed that the two individuals who died were unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County and that one of the deceased was an infant. These are the first measles-associated deaths reported in the U.S. this year and the first in Pennsylvania in 35 years.
Kennedy further suggested on social media, without providing evidence, that the state's reported deaths might be inaccurate. "The announcement appears to have been premature, and the deaths may even have been altogether fabricated by one of the Governor's hopeful staffers," Kennedy wrote on X.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health stated that a death is classified as "measles-associated" if there is laboratory or epidemiological evidence of measles. The Lancaster County Coroner's office is investigating the ultimate cause of death. Kennedy asserted that the coroner's office had no record of any measles deaths, citing state law that requires such deaths to be reported to the coroner.
However, Pennsylvania Health Secretary Debra Bogen refuted this, writing on X that she had reviewed the case information and confirmed the two measles-associated deaths. She added that the state's measles response team was informed early Tuesday morning and that she is meeting regularly with CDC staff about the outbreak.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an agency under HHS, issued a statement acknowledging the discrepancies and stating that the state had declined offers of assistance and had not provided the agency with outbreak information. "CDC is working to determine what actually occurred. These discrepancies raise important questions, particularly because the Governor’s Office has not provided CDC with information relevant to the outbreak and has declined our offers of assistance," the CDC statement read.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health responded on social media, calling the suggestion that they had not provided information or declined assistance "inaccurate." The department stated it is in regular contact with CDC staff and reports weekly cases to the federal agency.
The public exchange followed a private phone call Tuesday between Shapiro and Kennedy. Shapiro said he used the call to criticize Kennedy and the Trump administration's rhetoric on vaccines. Later, Shapiro mentioned that Kennedy had offered staff to assist Pennsylvania with the measles outbreak.
Kennedy has recently advocated for the MMR vaccine as the best prevention for measles, stating at the Wednesday press conference, "our advice is that people should get the measles vaccination." However, a video posted by Children's Health Defense in 2021 shows Kennedy questioning vaccines and downplaying measles risks while speaking to the Amish community in Lancaster County. In the video, he described his own experience as a measles survivor, stating, "Your measles is chicken soup and vitamin A."
According to CDC data, approximately 1 in 5 unvaccinated individuals in the U.S. who contract measles are hospitalized. Complications can include pneumonia in about 1 in 20 children and encephalitis, or brain swelling, in about 1 in 1,000 children.
Pennsylvania has recorded over 400 measles cases so far this year, according to the state's health department data. Shapiro described this as the largest measles outbreak in the state since 1992.