RFK Jr. Calls Measles Deaths “Fabricated” as Pennsylvania Coroner Opens a Second Investigation

Pennsylvania health officials reported that two Lancaster County residents, including a newborn, died from measles-associated causes — the state’s first measles deaths in 35 years and the first in the U.S. this year. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz publicly questioned the state’s findings, with Kennedy suggesting on social media the reports may have been “altogether fabricated by one of the Governor’s hopeful staffers,” and CDC Director Erica Schwartz ordered the two deaths excluded from the agency’s official weekly measles tally pending further review [1]. Lancaster County Coroner Stephen Diamantoni confirmed his office is now investigating a second, more recent death of a person with measles, after determining the first death — the infant — was caused by a ruptured spleen, leaving open whether measles was a contributing factor [2]. The dispute unfolds as the U.S. records its highest measles case count in 35 years and weeks after President Trump signed an executive order altering the childhood MMR vaccine schedule [3].

Why It Sucks:

Trump Administration Health Officials

• Cause of death isn’t confirmed yet. Officials argue it’s premature to attribute the deaths to measles before autopsies and coroner reviews are complete, especially when the first case turned out to involve a ruptured spleen [2].
• Politicized case counts undermine trust. The administration contends that folding unconfirmed deaths into the national tally before causation is established risks distorting public data for political effect [1].
• Scrutiny follows a new vaccine policy. Officials note the timing — coming weeks after Trump’s MMR schedule order — makes the deaths a convenient cudgel against a policy change they say deserves debate on its own merits, not via disputed anecdotes [1, 3].

Pennsylvania Health Officials and Public Health Experts

• Federal officials are overriding local findings. State and county health authorities stand by their determination, and experts say the CDC excluding the deaths from its tally mid-review sends a message that state data can be overruled for political reasons [1].
• Case counts are already at a 35-year high. Public health experts warn that undermining confidence in measles reporting during the worst outbreak in a generation could suppress vaccination just as urgency is needed most [3].
• “Fabricated” is a serious, unproven accusation. Kennedy’s suggestion that state officials invented the deaths, without evidence, is seen by public health professionals as an attack on the credibility of career health workers doing their jobs [1].

The Lancaster Families and Community

• A private loss became a political football. Families grieving a newborn and now a second death are watching cabinet officials publicly debate whether their loss even “counts,” turning tragedy into a national talking point [1, 2].
• The real cause is still unclear to everyone. With the coroner saying it could take weeks to determine whether measles contributed to either death, the community is left without answers while the dispute plays out in public [2].
• Local trust takes the hit either way. Whether the deaths are ultimately linked to measles or not, residents say the spectacle has made it harder to know which officials — state or federal — to believe about a disease already surging in their county [1, 3].

Sources & Citations:

[1] CNN: Trump’s new CDC director ordered delay in counting 2 measles-related deaths
[2] The Hill: Lancaster coroner investigating child measles death amid Trump admin scrutiny
[3] Al Jazeera: US health authorities dispute Pennsylvania’s measles-related deaths