A Lancaster County coroner confirmed details regarding two measles-related deaths involving infants in Pennsylvania last month. Ivan Miller died on Aug. 14 shortly after birth from a ruptured spleen, while Mary Stoltzfus, who was 6 weeks old, died Aug. 18 at her home. The coroner determined that measles directly caused Stoltzfus’s death, though the girl had been born with Amish lethal microcephaly, a genetic condition that left her highly vulnerable to infection. In the case of Miller, measles is listed on the death certificate as a contributing factor, though the coroner stated that measles did not directly cause the ruptured spleen. Neither infant was old enough to receive measles vaccination, which is typically administered around 1 year of age.
The deaths have drawn national attention and sparked a political dispute between Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, and officials in the Trump administration. Shapiro emphasized that vaccinations could have prevented the deaths. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a Trump appointee with a documented history of raising concerns about established vaccines, disputed the deaths and suggested they “may even have been altogether fabricated.” Kennedy later acknowledged the coroner’s conclusion regarding one death on social media.
Concerns have been raised by public health experts regarding the CDC’s handling of the information. The CDC’s measles webpage initially noted the two deaths but was subsequently changed to indicate the agency was not counting them pending further review. Public health officials have expressed worry about whether the CDC can be trusted to share data that may conflict with Kennedy’s views, given his oversight of the agency. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak continues to spread, with more than 620 cases reported across 37 counties this year. The U.S. eliminated domestic measles transmission in 2000 through high vaccination rates, but coverage has declined in recent years below the 95% needed to prevent outbreaks. International health officials are scheduled to meet in November to determine whether the U.S. and Mexico have lost their measles-free status.
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