RFK Jr finally admits that measles was the cause of infant’s death in Pennsylvania

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has finally admitted that measles was the cause of an infant’s death in Pennsylvania. The nation has seen more measles cases in 2026 than in any year in the past three and a half decades, according to reports. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed 3,134 cases in the U.S., including 557 in Pennsylvania as of Thursday. Last week, the Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed two deaths in the state that they believed were related to measles infections, urging residents to get vaccinated. Governor Josh Shapiro announced the deaths at an August 25 news conference, stating they were the first measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania in 35 years. Both deaths occurred in Lancaster County and involved unvaccinated individuals.

RFK Jr., a vaccine-skeptic, initially questioned the deaths, writing on X that the announcement might be premature and suggesting the deaths could be fabricated. He later pressured CDC Director Erica Schwartz to remove a reference to the deaths from the agency’s online measles tracker. On Friday, Lancaster County Coroner Stephen Diamantoni confirmed that one of the deaths was measles-related—a six-week-old Amish girl with Amish lethal microcephaly, a rare genetic disorder causing underdeveloped brains and typically leading to respiratory infections. The girl died from measles at home. Diamantoni also stated that the other infant death was not measles-related but involved a ruptured spleen.

Public health experts emphasize vaccination as the best protection against measles, a highly contagious virus that can cause serious complications, including death, especially in young children. Pennsylvania officials urged vaccination after the deaths. RFK Jr. later accepted measles as the cause of one death but continued to dispute the other, claiming the CDC should wait for evidence rather than report politically motivated findings. He also criticized Shapiro for amplifying headlines without verification.

Source: The Independent