It’s not surprising that this story has lost legs: the media and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro raced to announce, for some reason, that two measles deaths had been confirmed in the state. That came after the Trump administration announced changes to the vaccine schedule. It was an obvious swipe at the president and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. There’s only one problem: the two people, one of whom was an infant, didn’t die from measles.
Let's set the record straight because @RobertKennedyJr’s post is inaccurate and misleading and he is making claims that have been debunked repeatedly by actual scientists and doctors.
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) August 26, 2026
Secretary Kennedy called me yesterday morning to ask whether Pennsylvania needed any additional… https://t.co/Md2VLnEhOl
It's later became a “measles-associated” or adjacent fatality, but the baby died from a lacerated spleen. The Lancaster County coroner also said that we still don’t have any information about the second “measles-associated” death:
NEW - Lancaster County Coroner says he still “does not have information on the second ‘measles-associated’ death” reported by the PA Dept. of Health & Gov. Josh Shapiro pic.twitter.com/BeZkGwLPLT
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) August 31, 2026
So, it was a lie. Shapiro raced to that podium, caused a panic, and lied.
Two days ago, Josh Shapiro rushed to a camera to announce two "measles-associated" deaths in Pennsylvania for the first time in 30 years.
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) August 27, 2026
He provided no other information other than two people died, they were unvaccinated, and that it was RFK Jr's fault for spreading… pic.twitter.com/CC1LuHBdsF
Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons took to social media to set the record straight as this started to turn into a circus.