Lancaster Commissioner Accuses Shapiro of Deceiving Public on 2 Measles Deaths as Cases Hit 460
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 29
Lancaster Commissioner Accuses Shapiro of Deceiving Public on 2 Measles Deaths as Cases Hit 460
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 29
Summary
Joshua Parsons said Gov. Josh Shapiro misleadingly framed two Lancaster County deaths as measles deaths, even though state officials used the narrower term "measles-associated."
The dispute centers on an infant the county coroner said died with measles, not from it—the coroner cited a lacerated spleen—and Parsons said he has seen no record of a second measles death in the county.
Pennsylvania's Health Department said both people tested positive for measles and that "measles-associated" does not mean measles was the immediate cause of death; it also said coroners are not involved in most deaths.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. amplified the clash by calling Shapiro's announcement premature and possibly fabricated, after a reportedly heated call between the two before Tuesday's press conference.
The fight is unfolding as Pennsylvania's 2026 outbreak reaches 460 confirmed cases across 31 counties, the state's largest and the nation's biggest measles surge since 1991.