Shapiro Clashes With RFK Jr. After Pennsylvania Measles Deaths

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro accused US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of sowing vaccine distrust during a widening measles outbreak that has claimed two lives and infected hundreds in the state. Shapiro stated that Kennedy's rhetoric and policy changes had contributed to vaccine hesitancy amid falling immunization rates.

Kennedy denied Shapiro's accusations, stating that the Trump administration was focused on restoring public trust in vaccines. Pennsylvania's measles outbreak has led to the deaths of two unvaccinated individuals, marking the first US deaths from the disease in over 35 years and the first in the US this year. Vaccination rates in the state have dropped below the level needed to prevent outbreaks, with 92.7% of kindergartners receiving the required two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine during the 2025-26 school year.

Kennedy argued that much of the decline in vaccination rates occurred prior to his tenure, attributing the drop to the impact of Covid-19 government actions on public confidence in vaccines.