Key facts
- Two individuals in Pennsylvania died from measles, marking the first measles-linked fatalities in the state in 35 years.
- These deaths are the first reported US measles deaths in 2026, occurring amidst a surge in cases nationwide.
- One of the deceased was a newborn baby.
- Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. disseminated anti-vaccine misinformation on social media, questioning the legitimacy of the deaths.
- A coroner indicated the newborn died from a ruptured spleen, though a pathologist did not attribute the cause to measles.
In the wake of two measles-linked deaths in Pennsylvania, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has reignited his anti-vaccine activism online. The deaths, the first in Pennsylvania in 35 years and the first US measles deaths reported in 2026, occurred amid a significant outbreak in the state and a nationwide surge in cases.
News broke Tuesday of the two deaths, initially reported as unvaccinated individuals from Lancaster County. By Wednesday, it was revealed one of the deceased was a newborn. Kennedy took to his personal X account to criticize the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and shared content from an anti-vaccine website. He also assailed Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who has previously criticized Kennedy's activism.
On his official X account as US health secretary, Kennedy further alleged that the deaths might have been fabricated, citing a tweet from a local commissioner who claimed there had been no measles deaths in the county. However, the Lancaster County Coroner, Stephen Diamantoni, stated that a newborn who tested positive for measles died shortly after birth from a ruptured spleen, though a pathologist did not believe it was related to measles. Diamantoni noted he had not been in contact with state health officials.
Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, clarified that the measles virus can be transmitted in utero or shortly after birth and can cause spleen enlargement and rupture. Offit, who has been in contact with state officials, concluded that the patients would not have died if not for measles. This incident echoes past instances where Kennedy and his allies have spread misinformation about deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases, often attributing deaths to complications rather than the infection itself.