Technology and Science30 September, 20263 min read
Franklin County Coroner Says 39-Year-Old Unvaccinated Woman Dies From Measles as Pennsylvania Outbreak Intensifies
“The CDC only counts two measles death on its dashboard, but notes that ‘this number is subject to change;”
“The department said the death was reported to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Franklin County, 39-year-old unvaccinated woman dies after measles diagnosis. Pennsylvania reports sixth measles-related death amid a large statewide outbreak.
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Sixth Measles Death
A 39-year-old woman from Franklin County, Pennsylvania, died after being diagnosed with measles, making her the sixth person to die with measles amid the state outbreak, the Franklin County Coroner’s Office confirmed in a press release Monday. The Franklin County Coroner’s Office said it investigated the death Saturday and found the woman had several underlying conditions, including a previous case of measles that had been treated. The coroner’s office said it would not specify what other underlying conditions were apparent from the investigation and declined to identify the woman or disclose whether anyone may have been exposed.
The outbreak climbed to more than 1,130 cases as of late last week, and the state health department said 219 people had been hospitalized. Jordan Conner urged the public to adhere to medical guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Health and said, “Caution and vigilance are key to our success in the treatment of this disease and its after [effects],”.
How Deaths Are Counted
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office said the death meets the definition set forth by the Pennsylvania Department of Health for a measles-associated death, which requires the death to occur within 30 days of symptom onset and with clinical evidence of an infection such as a positive laboratory test. The coroner’s office said it is not releasing additional details that could identify the individual and said it gave no indication as to whether the woman was vaccinated or not. Ars Technica reported that the woman died on Saturday, October 10, and that an advisory posted on social media by Franklin County Coroner Jordan Conner said the woman had recently tested positive for measles.
The advisory and emailed statement described the primary cause of death as “probable acute cardiac event due to possible complications of the measles,” and Ars Technica said the previous five deaths included a newborn, a 6-week-old, an 18-year-old, a 20-year-old, and a 40-year-old. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has only recognized two measles-associated deaths nationwide, and 90.5 WESA said the agency’s website does not say where the deaths occurred.
Vaccination Efforts and Dispute
Pennsylvania’s outbreak was described as spanning 41 of the state’s 67 counties, with 157 new cases reported just in the previous week, and the state health department said overall 218 people had been hospitalized.
CBS News said state healthcare centers had administered more than 5,500 MMR vaccinations since April and that nurses had given more than 8,500 doses of the vaccine at pop-up clinics across Pennsylvania.
NBC News said the Health Department was aware of the Franklin County coroner’s announcement and was “conducting a thorough review” of the reported death.
The Washington Post described a bitter political dispute between Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, with Shapiro accusing Kennedy of sowing confusion about vaccines and contributing to the spread of a disease that the United States eliminated more than 25 years ago.
The Washington Post also quoted Grace Davis Jamison, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services, saying, “The CDC remains committed to supporting the state as it responds to the ongoing measles outbreak,” and said Kennedy and Schwartz “continue to recommend the MMR vaccine as the most effective way to prevent measles infection.”