A six-week-old child in Pennsylvania has died from measles-related causes, according to Lancaster County Coroner Stephen Diamantoni, amid a growing outbreak that has seen nearly 400 cases across 28 counties. The infant had Amish lethal microcephaly, which can make children more vulnerable to respiratory infections and typically leads to death by five or six months of age. This is the second child death in Lancaster county related to measles in recent weeks, with state health officials not confirming whether this child was one of the two previously reported deaths. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has criticized vaccine skeptic Robert F Kennedy Jr. for spreading misinformation that has contributed to the measles epidemic.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
3,134 measles cases have been reported in the US as of September, with a growing outbreak in Pennsylvania linked to two deaths. The state has recorded 540 infections and 91 hospitalizations, mostly centered in Lancaster County. The two deaths were initially reported by the state, but Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked the CDC to delay reporting them, citing uncertainty about whether the virus contributed to the deaths. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro accused Kennedy of sowing distrust. The CDC has not confirmed the cause of death for either infant, with one coroner stating that a ruptured spleen may have caused the first death, while measles was listed on the newborn's death certificate.
Written for “Measles Outbreak in US Cities” on 2026-09-05,
grounded in this article and the 3 other(s) covering the same event.
A six-week-old child in Pennsylvania died from measles, the Lancaster County coroner has determined, following two measles-related deaths in the county last week.
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coroner → die → county
The determination comes as Lancaster county faces a growing measles outbreak.
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county → come → outbreak
Stephen Diamantoni, the county coroner, confirmed the death to multiple news outlets and said that the infant had Amish lethal microcephaly.
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infant → confirm → microcephaly
Children with the condition typically live to only five to six months, and the condition can make children more vulnerable to respiratory infections.
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children → live → infections
State health officials have not confirmed whether the six-week-old was one of the two deaths announced last week, according to the New York Times.
uncertain
old → confirm → Times
The first death, on 14 August, involved an infant whose mother had measles and transmitted it to the child.
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mother → involve → child
In that case, the coroner told WGAL that a ruptured spleen, not measles, was the cause of death.
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spleen → tell → death
Measles, however, was listed on the newborn’s death certificate, the outlet reported.
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outlet → list → certificate
The Atlantic reported that the parents believe their baby died from measles.
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baby → report → measles
Pennsylvania has counted nearly 400 measles cases across 28 counties, nearly half of which are in southern Lancaster county.
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half → count → county
Most of the cases reported to state health authorities are in adults between 18 and 49.
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Most → report → 18
At a news conference last week, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro and state secretary of health Debra Bogen said two Lancaster county residents had died in cases described as “measles-associated”.
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residents → say → cases
They did not provide further details, citing privacy laws and respect for the deceased and their families.
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They → provide → deceased
The recent deaths have fueled a dispute between Shapiro, a Democrat, and health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.
Officials strongly suggested that the two deaths were caused by measles when they announced them, but the distinction of “measles-associated” led some on the right to dispute whether measles was actually the cause.
Shapiro had criticized Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, over his history of misinformation surrounding vaccines.
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Shapiro → fuel → vaccines
The governor said that Kennedy’s rhetoric has not helped contain the measles epidemic, which has pushed US cases to the highest number in over three decades.
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which → say → decades
Kennedy responded by suggesting Shapiro’s side had fabricated the deaths in an effort to blame the health secretary.
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side → respond → secretary
He also accused Democrats of using tactics similar to those employed during the pandemic to counter critics and encourage vaccination.
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He → accuse → vaccination
“The performance was a replay of the Democrats’ Covid playbook: fear-mongering, misinformation, finger-pointing, and the weaponization of infectious disease fears for political gain,” Kennedy wrote on social media.
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Kennedy → write → media
As of Monday, top US health officials and government agencies were not including the two recent measles-associated deaths in their official counts.
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officials → include → counts
Kennedy also gave an incorrect number of measles deaths during a recent interview with Fox News.
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Kennedy → give → News
Debra Houry, the former CDC chief medical officer, and Demetre Daskalakis, the former director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, criticized, in a piece for Stat News, the way health and administration officials have turned deadly diseases into political talking points to be debated.
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officials → criticize → points
“Chicken noodle soup and vitamin A are not substitutes for vaccination, as the secretary of health claimed in 2022 while standing in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the epicenter of the current outbreak,” the pair wrote.
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pair → claim → outbreak
“The best way to protect children is neither complicated nor new: provide clear information and make it easier for families to get vaccinated.”
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families → protect → information
