Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday suggested two measles deaths reported in Pennsylvania may have been fabricated by state officials, directly challenging Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro over the veracity of the state's public health announcements.
Kennedy claimed the announcement of the deaths was "premature" and that the deaths "may even have been altogether fabricated by one of the Governor's hopeful staffers" to score political points. He based the accusation on the assertion that the Lancaster County coroner had no record of any measles deaths.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health disputed Kennedy's allegations, posting on X on Aug. 26 that not all deaths in Pennsylvania are referred to a coroner under state law. The department confirmed that the Lancaster County coroner's office is investigating one of the reported deaths. Dr. Stephen Diamantoni, the Lancaster County coroner, confirmed to multiple media outlets that his office is conducting an investigation into one death.
One of the two measles-related deaths reported by Pennsylvania involved a newborn baby, according to state officials.
Kennedy also accused Shapiro of "refusing to share information" regarding the measles cases, claiming the governor withheld data from both the county health department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The dispute unfolded on X, where Kennedy and Shapiro traded attacks. Shapiro had previously blamed Kennedy and the Trump administration for contributing to measles outbreaks in the state. The confrontation highlights escalating tensions between federal and state health officials during a public health concern.
