If you’ve been following the dispute between Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., you probably know that it centers on the deaths of two infants in Lancaster County in late August 2026.
And you may be aware that despite the county coroner’s confirmation that one infant died due to measles, while the other’s death was “measles-associated,” the measles dashboard on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website counts neither death as of Sept. 10.
It’s easy to dismiss the squabble as political posturing between public officials. But as an epidemiologist who studies vaccine-preventable illnesses and health communication, I worry that for people seeking accurate information about how to keep their families safe – in this case, families in Lancaster County – there’s an enormous cost when health authorities no longer speak in one voice…