Pennsylvania reports fifth measles death in expanding crisis

(Bloomberg) — Pennsylvania reported its fifth measles-related death this year as the U.S. continues to suffer its worst outbreak in decades.

In a statement Wednesday, the health department said the fifth death occurred in an unvaccinated Lancaster County resident. Pennsylvania is the worst affected US state.

The announcement comes as state and federal health agencies wrangle over whether the deaths are measles-related. After Pennsylvania notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of its first two measles-related deaths in August, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. he publicly questioned them, suggesting that Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro had fabricated the deaths for political gain. Shapiro then accused Kennedy of sowing mistrust of vaccines.

The CDC initially refused to include the deaths in its official record of measles outbreaks. Two of them are subsequently included.

The CDC and HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Before this summer, Pennsylvania had not had a measles-related death in 35 years. The outbreak has hit the state this year with 943 cases and 176 people hospitalized. Less than 1% of confirmed cases occur in people who have been fully vaccinated against measles.

The total number of measles cases in the US is at a 35-year high, with 3,669 confirmed cases in 45 states as of September 24.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health emphasizes that the best protection against measles is to get two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella combination vaccine, which prevents 97% of infections. Unvaccinated people are at risk of pneumonia and brain swelling from the highly contagious respiratory virus.

In August, President Donald Trump signed an executive order recommending that the MMR vaccine be divided into three doses. If implemented, it would cause parents to travel more to the doctor to get the same disease protection for their young children, which could increase the risk of some vaccinations being missed.

(Updated with background and case numbers from paragraph six.)

More such stories are available at bloomberg.com