Washington D.C. – Pennsylvania health officials report today that an unvaccinated Lancaster County resident with measles has died, marking the fifth measles-associated death in the commonwealth since August. As NBC News notes: “There have been 943 confirmed cases of measles across 39 counties in Pennsylvania, which is dealing with the largest outbreak of the extremely contagious virus in the U.S. About 176 people have been hospitalized. At least six babies have been born with congenital measles in the state.”
The tragic news and ballooning outbreak comes as Donald Trump continues to pursue his reckless executive order undermining the strongest and most effective weapon against this crisis, the MMR vaccine — and just days after anti-vax poster child RFK Jr. delivered his most aggressive speech smearing vaccine safety since becoming Trump health secretary.
Brad Woodhouse, president of Protect Our Care: “As the worst measles outbreak in 35 years gets deadlier, Donald Trump and RFK Jr insist on making matters worse by demonizing the one thing that can end this crisis, the measles vaccine. No matter how many measles deaths and hospitalizations are reported, no matter how many studies debunk their anti-vax rhetoric, the administration keeps right on stoking fear and confusion that leads to fewer vaccinations and higher rates of preventable disease. Newborn babies aren’t even given a fighting chance with a growing number of unvaccinated people keeping measles alive in their communities. This historic public health crisis begins at the Trump White House, and they have no interest in ending it. Forget the resignation, RFK Jr needs to be stripped of his power immediately.”
BACKGROUND: Donald Trump’s science-denying executive order will sow more parental confusion and vaccine hesitancy amid the worst measles outbreak in 35 years and as kindergartners’ exemptions from school vaccine requirements have reached another record high. If states follow that order, preventable disease will surge, and more children will be hospitalized or worse. While Trump insists on adding more costs and burden on parents by splicing up the MMR shots — based on nothing but completely disproven risks of autism – Trump’s own CDC website states the facts: “No published scientific evidence shows any benefit in separating the combination MMR vaccine into three individual shots.” That is why over 210 leading medical, health and patient advocacy groups have condemned Trump’s anti-vax executive order and at least 88 Democratic lawmakers in Congress are demanding its immediate rescission.
###