Gov. Shapiro and RFK Jr. Clash Over Pennsylvania Measles Deaths and Vaccine Misinformation

Measles Outbreak Triggers First Deaths in Pennsylvania in 35 Years

Pennsylvania health officials announced that two unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County had died from measles. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the fatalities mark the first measles-associated deaths recorded in the commonwealth in 35 years and the first reported in the United States in 2026. State health officials confirmed that one of the decedents was an infant. The commonwealth has recorded 393 measles cases throughout the year, with Lancaster County positioned at the center of the outbreak. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 2,777 cases as of Aug. 20, 2026, making the year the worst for measles in the United States in 35 years. In response to the rising numbers, the Shapiro administration stated that the state Department of Health has held 91 pop-up vaccination clinics this year, with another 40 planned in upcoming weeks.

Shapiro Confronts RFK Jr. Over Vaccine Misinformation

Following the announcement of the deaths, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called Gov. Shapiro to offer federal personnel to assist with the state’s outbreak response. Shapiro declined the assistance during an appearance in Lancaster, stating that the commonwealth’s Department of Health could manage the situation independently. Shapiro used the phone call to deliver a direct rebuke to the federal official regarding public health messaging. According to Shapiro’s public statements, he told Kennedy that his past actions and administration rhetoric negatively impact communities across the country.

I was very, very blunt with him, and I made very clear that his actions and the rhetoric that’s coming from this administration are having a negative impact on communities across America, particularly right here in Pennsylvania. There’s real life consequences to spreading misinformation.

Gov. Josh Shapiro Shapiro connected the public health crisis to widespread vaccine skepticism promoted by figures including Kennedy. The governor emphasized that the MMR vaccine provides approximately 97 percent protection with two doses, and criticized public figures for frightening parents rather than relying on medical professionals.

Federal Official Questions State Fatality Data

During a press conference in Tampa, Florida, Kennedy responded to the state’s announcement by casting doubt on the reported fatalities. Kennedy used gestures to signify quotation marks while stating that officials were trying to gather information about what he termed casualties. Kennedy further escalated the dispute on X, writing that the announcement appeared premature and that the deaths might have been fabricated by a staff member. He added that the Lancaster County coroner had no record of measles deaths and noted that state law requires reporting such fatalities to the coroner. Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Debra Bogen pushed back against Kennedy’s assertions in a post on X. Bogen stated that she reviewed the case investigations and confirmed the two recent measles-associated deaths in Lancaster County, which were reported to the CDC early Tuesday morning. The state health department classifies a death as measles-associated when laboratory testing or epidemiological links confirm the virus, while the final cause of death remains under review by the Lancaster County coroner.