Lancaster County commissioner disputes governor's claim of measles-related deaths

Governor Josh Shapiro announced Tuesday that two unvaccinated Pennsylvanians had died in cases he described as measles-associated, urging residents to get vaccinated as the state battles a measles outbreak now confirmed in 460 people across 31 counties. Lancaster County Commissioner Joshua Parsons said the governor’s statement was misleading, noting that the county coroner, Dr. Stephen Diamoantoni, reported no measles deaths in the county this year.

Parsons told Fox News Digital that the coroner had not been contacted by the governor’s office or the Pennsylvania Department of Health and was surprised by the press conference. The coroner confirmed an infant who died with measles but said measles was not the cause of death, attributing the infant’s death to a lacerated spleen. He said he had no information about the second individual referenced by the governor.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health responded that it consistently used the term “measles-associated” for the two deaths, meaning laboratory or epidemiologic evidence of measles was present, even if the disease was not listed as the immediate cause of death. The department noted that state law requires reporting of deaths from infectious diseases to the coroner, but it does not regulate coroner operations.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. criticized Shapiro’s announcement, calling it premature and suggesting it could be used for political purposes. The dispute occurs as the outbreak, largely affecting unvaccinated individuals in certain religious communities, continues to grow, marking the largest measles surge in the United States since 1991.