Vaccine misinformation spreads as RFK Jr suggests two measles deaths were ‘fabricated’

Two people in Pennsylvania died after contracting measles, the state health department confirmed on Tuesday, sparking a wave of misinformation from anti‑vaccination groups and a public dispute between Governor Josh Shapiro and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy. The deaths, one involving a newborn, were the first measles‑related fatalities in the United States since 2019.

Pennsylvania’s Department of Health said the cases were investigated by the state’s epidemiology team and that both individuals tested positive for measles. One death was a newborn who had a measles‑related infection acquired before birth, the department added. State Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen confirmed the investigation and stated that the newborn had a lacerated spleen, a complication known to occur with measles. “I have thoroughly reviewed the case investigation information and can confirm that there were two recent measles‑associated deaths in Lancaster County,” Bogen said in a statement. “Both individuals tested positive for measles.”

The two deaths come amid a measles outbreak that has already produced 424 confirmed cases and 73 hospitalisations in Pennsylvania. None of the sickened people were fully vaccinated, and the state is currently experiencing its worst measles outbreak in three decades. The outbreak has prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to post on X that it is “working to determine what actually occurred,” including whether the deaths were caused by measles.

Governor Shapiro called the deaths a “public‑health crisis” and urged the public to get vaccinated. He also criticised Secretary Kennedy for what he described as “inaccurate and misleading claims” that the deaths had been “fabricated.” Kennedy replied on X, repeating misinformation about the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and suggesting that Pennsylvania was withholding information from the CDC. He also questioned whether the deaths were real, a claim that the state health department said was false.

Anti‑vaccination activist Brian Hooker, who previously headed Children’s Health Defense, said in a video that the organisation was “trying to get boots on the ground” and “do outreach” in Pennsylvania. Hooker also alleged that the announcement of the deaths was a political ploy ahead of the U.S. mid‑term elections. He said the lack of detailed information made it difficult to contact families, and that the organisation had been unable to reach the family of a measles‑positive adult who died in New Mexico last year.

In a separate interview, infectious‑disease physician Paul Offit of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia said, “Secretary Kennedy is an anti‑vaccine activist in the role of the most powerful public‑health person in this country.” Offit also noted that the measles‑associated splenic rupture in the newborn was consistent with the disease and that the outbreak “isn’t a good look” for anti‑vaccination groups that have lowered vaccination rates.

Lancaster County, where the deaths occurred, has large Amish and Mennonite communities that are not religiously opposed to vaccines but are often disconnected from modern healthcare. The county coroner, Stephen Diamantoni, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that a test on the baby’s lung tissue after death indicated a measles infection acquired before birth. He believes the baby died shortly after birth because of a lacerated spleen.

The U.S. CDC’s new director, Erica Schwartz, has not yet issued a statement on the outbreak or the need for vaccination. The HHS has also declined to comment on whether Kennedy recommends the vaccine.

The outbreak has prompted a surge in vaccination. More than 35,000 Pennsylvanians received the measles vaccine last month, an increase of 10,000 compared with typical months. Experts warn that infants under six months cannot be vaccinated, making community immunity through vaccination of pregnant parents and others essential to prevent future deaths.