Lancaster Midwife Urges State to Let Midwives Give MMR as County Measles Cases Hit 383
Updated
Updated · WPVI-TV · Oct 6
Lancaster Midwife Urges State to Let Midwives Give MMR as County Measles Cases Hit 383
1 articles · Updated · WPVI-TV · Oct 6
Summary
More than 1,000 measles cases have been reported in Pennsylvania this year, including 383 in Lancaster County, where midwife Roberta Devers says trusted home-birth providers should be allowed to administer MMR shots to Amish mothers.
Devers, a 38-year midwife serving many Amish families, said questions about vaccination are rising as the outbreak spreads and that balanced counseling often leads mothers to seek immunization.
Her push reflects how care is delivered in the community: many Amish births happen at home, and midwives—not hospitals—are the main point of contact for mothers.
The outbreak's toll has sharpened her appeal; Devers described carrying a 17-week fetal demise to a grave and warned more babies could die before herd immunity is reached without vaccination.
Chester County has reported 84 cases, all in unvaccinated people, and state data show fewer than 1% of Pennsylvania cases are in people fully vaccinated with MMR.