Unvaccinated Pennsylvania woman died of measles complications, coroner says
The 40-year-old unvaccinated woman reportedly had underlying health conditions.
TL;DR
- A 40-year-old unvaccinated woman in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, died from suspected measles complications.
- This is the third vaccine-preventable, measles-linked death in the US this year, all occurring in Pennsylvania.
- Pennsylvania is experiencing a large measles outbreak with over 670 cases and 124 hospitalizations across 37 counties.
- The deceased woman had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and required supplemental oxygen, making her vulnerable to complications.
- Her death certificate listed respiratory failure due to suspected measles as the cause; she was unvaccinated and exposed to someone with measles.
- Two previous measles-linked deaths in babies in Lancaster County are also mentioned, with one coroner directly attributing a baby's death to measles and disputing the cause of the other.
- The CDC is not counting the two infant deaths in its measles data due to a new reporting requirement.
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr., identified as the US health secretary and an anti-vaccine activist, has publicly disputed the babies' measles-linked deaths.