Lancaster coroner investigates child measles death amid Trump admin dispute

The Lancaster County Coroner's office is investigating a second child death that tested positive for measles, a development occurring amid scrutiny from the Trump administration regarding the state's handling of such cases. Coroner Stephen Diamantoni confirmed the second diagnosis on Tuesday, stating his office is conducting an investigation into the cause of death, which is expected to take several weeks.

This investigation follows a week after the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced that two unvaccinated residents in Lancaster County had died from measles. However, county officials remain uncertain if this second case is directly related to the state's announcement. Diamantoni emphasized the need to identify any deaths that may have occurred in individuals who had measles, regardless of certainty.

Lancaster Commissioner Josh Parsons also confirmed the coroner's office's efforts to identify the case, noting the state had provided minimal information on the second death. The first death investigated by Diamantoni's office was a newborn, with the forensic pathologist determining the cause of death to be a spleen laceration and subsequent bleeding, attributed to measles.

These reported deaths mark the first measles-related fatalities in Pennsylvania in 35 years and the first in the United States this year. The situation has led to a public disagreement between Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Trump administration health officials. Shapiro linked the deaths to vaccine misinformation, while HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asserted that the administration prioritizes truthfulness and does not tolerate misinformation from its employees. Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, further questioned the direct cause of death, suggesting that other underlying conditions might have been present alongside measles.