There have been two additional measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania, bringing the total number of fatalities in the state this year to four, health officials said.
Both individuals were unvaccinated against measles, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. One lived in Jefferson County and the other in Mifflin County.
The deaths come weeks after state health officials said two people in Lancaster County died from measles-related illnesses, marking Pennsylvania’s first measles deaths in 35 years.
“My thoughts are with the two families who lost loved ones to this highly contagious virus, as Pennsylvania faces the worst measles outbreak in more than three decades,” Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen said. “We remain committed to working with our partners across Pennsylvania to stem this outbreak and prevent more deaths. That means ensuring people have the facts about measles and access to the MMR vaccine, which kept measles outbreaks at bay for decades.”
Federal health officials disputed whether the first two deaths were directly tied to measles. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. alleged that Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro politicized the deaths.
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“The facts emerging now demonstrate why CDC waited for the evidence rather than allowing political grandstanding to dictate its reporting. Governor Shapiro, by contrast, politicized these two tragic deaths before the underlying causes had been established,” Kennedy wrote.
Kennedy later acknowledged that one of the first two deaths tied to measles was directly caused by the virus.
Health officials continue to advocate for the MMR vaccine as the most effective way to combat the highly contagious virus. The vaccine is about 97% effective at preventing illness and limiting the spread of the disease.
The CDC reported that only 8% of people with confirmed measles cases had a known history of vaccination.
Children are routinely vaccinated against measles at 12 to 15 months and again at 4 to 6 years old before entering kindergarten. Children as young as 6 months old can receive the vaccine if they are at increased risk.
According to the CDC, measles can cause:
- Pneumonia
- Brain damage
- Blindness
- Deafness
- Diarrhea
- Premature birth or low birth weight in pregnant women who contract measles
- Immune amnesia, which can reduce immunity to other diseases
The World Health Organization says herd immunity against measles can be achieved when about 95% of a community is vaccinated. U.S. health officials estimate that 92.7% of kindergarten students were vaccinated last school year.
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During his tenure leading HHS, Kennedy has sent mixed signals about support for measles vaccination.
As of last week, the CDC had confirmed 3,294 measles cases in the United States, the highest total in more than three decades. Before the measles vaccine became widely available in the 1960s, the disease caused hundreds of thousands of illnesses each year. Within three decades of widespread vaccination, annual case counts dropped to the hundreds.
