Pennsylvania infant’s death confirmed to have been caused by measles

Pennsylvania infant confirmed to have died from measles

Following vocal skepticism from federal health officials, one of the two suspected measles deaths reported in Pennsylvania last month has been confirmed as being caused by the virus .

Lancaster County coroner Stephen Diamantoni confirmed on Friday that a 6-week-old infant died of measles in Pennsylvania. According to Diamantoni, the child was born with Amish lethal microcephaly, a rare genetic condition that can cause respiratory infections.

This confirmation comes after several Trump administration officials openly questioned whether the deaths had even occurred.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz questioned whether the cause of death was measles while Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggested the deaths could have been entirely fabricated by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D).

The confusion stemmed from Pennsylvania state officials reporting two “measles-associated” deaths but Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons (R) saying he was not aware of any reported deaths from measles and questioned where Shapiro got his information.

Kennedy called Shapiro after the announcement and their apparently contentious conversation bled over into a heated back-and-forth online.

Shapiro responded to news of the confirmation on social media . Kennedy reportedly asked that the Pennsylvania deaths be removed from the CDC’s official national tally.

‘Last week, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported our Commonwealth’s first two measles-associated deaths in 35 years,” Shapiro wrote.

“Then, instead of listening to the real doctors and public health experts, RFK chose to sow doubt, play politics, direct the CDC not to acknowledge these deaths, and even accuse me of fabricating these tragedies,” he added. “That led to a firestorm of conspiracy theories that denied these families’ pain, invaded their privacy, and undermined public health.”

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A 6-week-old infant’s death in Pennsylvania was caused by measles, the Lancaster County coroner confirmed Friday. County coroner Stephen Diamantoni said the child, who died last month, was born with Amish lethal microcephaly, a rare genetic condition that can cause respiratory infections. Pennsylvania health officials last week announced the “measles-related” deaths of two unvaccinated people, including an infant, as the state …

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