Two people have died of measles in Pennsylvania, the state’s health department confirmed Tuesday.
\n\nBoth people were unvaccinated. They are the first such deaths in the U.S. this year, and the first in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 35 years.
\n\n“Because measles was largely eliminated in the Commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don’t fully understand the potential severity of the illness,” Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen wrote in a statement. “As a physician, I want to make sure that people understand that the MMR vaccine is safe and provides the best protection we have against measles.”
\n\nThe people who died lived in Lancaster County, which has seen the majority of measles cases in the state’s growing outbreak. As of Tuesday, 393 cases had been confirmed. Eighty-six had been diagnosed in the past week.
\n\nSo far 70 people in the state have been hospitalized for measles complications.
\n\nEarlier this month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order meant to drive down the number of vaccines recommended for children. The move, which was backed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, drew sharp criticism from pediatricians and public health experts.
\n\nAnd…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/