Measles killed 6-week-old baby, coroner confirms after RFK Jr. disputed deaths
A coroner in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, has confirmed that a six-week-old baby girl died of measles, contradicting claims made by US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that such deaths may have been "fabricated" by the state. The confirmation matters because it undercuts efforts by Kennedy, a vaccine sceptic, to cast doubt on measles fatalities amid a wider outbreak, and comes after he ordered the deaths removed from federal health data despite CDC staff having already accepted them as measles-related.
Coroner Stephen Diamantoni said the baby, who also had a rare genetic condition called Amish lethal microcephaly, died at home on 18 August, with measles confirmed as the cause of death. She was one of two infant deaths, both from Amish families in Lancaster County, reported by Pennsylvania's health department; the other was a newborn boy. Kennedy had ordered the CDC's new director to strip the deaths from public data, and while they were removed from the public-facing website, they reportedly remain in an internal database, with officials this week altering an explanatory note on the CDC page rather than restoring the figures.
In short
- Coroner confirms measles killed a 6-week-old Pennsylvania baby.
- Contradicts RFK Jr.'s claim the deaths were "fabricated".
- CDC removed the deaths from public data despite internal records.
Explained simply
Measles is a highly contagious disease that can cause serious illness, especially in babies who are too young to be vaccinated. Vaccination helps prevent infection and limits the spread of outbreaks.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracks disease cases and deaths, while state health departments and local coroners investigate deaths in their areas. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the US health secretary, oversees federal health agencies and has publicly questioned some vaccine claims.
The Amish are a religious community, some of whose members have lower vaccination rates. A rare inherited condition can also make infants especially vulnerable, so understanding the circumstances of a death can matter when health officials assess an outbreak.