<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/pennsylvania/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pennsylvania</a> reported two additional deaths related to a <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/disease/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">measles</a> outbreak, which led Governor <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/josh-shapiro/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Josh Shapiro</a> (D-PA) to attribute some blame to Health and Human Services Secretary <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/robert-f-kennedy-jr/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In recent weeks, Pennsylvania has reported four measles-related deaths. An 18-year-old died on Tuesday, a 40-year-old woman died over the weekend, and <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/healthcare/4699603/pennsylvania-die-measles-lancaster-county-highly-contagious-elimination-status-to-review/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">two infants died last month</a>, all of whom were not vaccinated.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Shapiro expressed concerns on social media regarding Kennedy's influence on public health, stating that measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. He stated, “This serious situation continues to be made worse by RFK Jr. playing games with public health and safety. It’s long past time for @SecKennedy to stop stoking vaccine skepticism and misinformation and compromising the serious mission of the nation’s public health agencies. It is also deeply concerning to learn that the Secretary personally intervened in an otherwise administrative process to direct the CDC to not report these Pennsylvania deaths, presumably because it doesn’t fit his phony narrative.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As of the time of reporting, the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/cdc/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> had not included the Pennsylvania deaths in its <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2026 measles death toll</a>. However, it noted that there have been over 3,000 confirmed cases of measles in the U.S. in 2026, with 8% resulting in hospitalizations.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Pennsylvania <a href="https://www.pa.gov/agencies/health/newsroom/doh-confirms-two-additional-measles-associated-deaths-" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Department of Health</a> has reported 693 measles cases. The recent deaths are the first caused by the disease in the state in 35 years.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Kennedy responded to Shapiro's comments, accusing him of politicizing the outbreak instead of addressing the health crisis. “Governor Shapiro has chosen to politicize this outbreak instead of implementing a unified public health response,” Kennedy stated. “He continues to point the finger at me and the federal government and to malign the Amish while refusing the federal assistance that might help end the outbreak. I have offered the Governor CDC Epi-Aid, which would put CDC epidemiologists on the ground to help the state respond.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Kennedy also disputed Shapiro’s claim regarding his involvement in the CDC’s reporting of the deaths. “Governor Shapiro’s claim that I directed CDC to suppress Pennsylvania deaths is false,” he said. “CDC is applying a consistent national standard rather than allowing politicians to decide which deaths appear in federal mortality statistics. CDC will report measles-caused deaths when the National Center for Health Statistics reports measles as the underlying cause based on death record information submitted by the states.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Measles cases have surged nationwide this year. The CDC reported in June that U.S. measles cases had already surpassed the total recorded in 2025, reaching the highest level in 35 years.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The resurgence has raised questions about whether the U.S. could lose its elimination status, which it has held since 2000. The Pan American Health Organization is scheduled to conduct an international review of the country’s elimination status in November.</p>