The United States has recorded its first measles deaths of the year. The tragedy occurred in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, amid the largest outbreak in three decades and declining vaccination rates, according to infohub.kz.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the state has been one of the hardest hit this year, with 393 cases across 28 counties. Lancaster County, in the southeastern part of the state, has reported 185 cases, and it is here that the first measles deaths in 35 years have occurred.
"It's wrong to hear again about people dying from a vaccine-preventable disease," said Angela Dunn, former director of the infectious disease response division at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In total, the U.S. has confirmed 2,777 measles cases this year, a disease that was nearly eradicated in the country. Dunn attributes this to declining vaccination rates and policies under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has spread misinformation about vaccine safety for decades.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said he rejected Kennedy's offer of federal assistance to combat the outbreak. "I've made it very clear that his actions and the rhetoric coming from this administration are having a negative impact on local communities," Shapiro said at a press conference.
The deaths come about two weeks after President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for a review of federal childhood vaccination recommendations.