Pennsylvania Doctors Battle 4 Measles Deaths as CDC Lists Only 1 Nationwide

3 articles · Updated · ms.now · Sep 25

Four measles-associated deaths reported by Pennsylvania over the past month have intensified doctors’ efforts to contain an outbreak centered in largely unvaccinated Amish communities around Belleville and Lancaster County.
More than 90 cases seen this year by one Geisinger infectious-disease specialist are arriving severely ill, with some patients needing hospitalization or ICU care for complications including pneumonia and encephalitis.
One death now appears on the CDC’s national measles page, while the agency still has not clearly recognized Pennsylvania’s four deaths, deepening a public clash between Gov. Josh Shapiro and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
3,471 confirmed U.S. measles cases and more than 300 hospitalizations this year have added pressure on Pennsylvania hospitals, where scarce negative-pressure rooms used for measles patients could limit care for other illnesses as flu season nears.
The outbreak is unfolding as the Trump administration questions the combined MMR vaccine and limits recommended childhood shots, even as medical experts say vaccination remains the most effective protection against measles.