Pennsylvania's 4th measles-related death sparks vaccination concerns
Pennsylvania reported a fourth measles-related death, the most in the U.S. in decades. None of the people who died were vaccinated, officials said. Dr. Jonathan LaPook joins with more.
Pennsylvania has reported a fourth measles-related death, the most in the US in decades. According to CBS News, none of the people who died were vaccinated. The state health department confirmed that the four individuals who died from measles complications were not vaccinated, although the two infants who died were too young for vaccinations.
The latest death involved an 18-year-old resident of Mifflin County, who died from acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, a rare and severe neurological complication of measles, as reported by Medical Xpress and STAT News, citing the county coroner's office. This death, along with the deaths of a 40-year-old woman from Jefferson County and two infants from Lancaster County, marks the first reported measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania in 35 years.
Pennsylvania's measles outbreak continues to grow, with nearly 700 illnesses reported across 38 counties, including about 100 cases in the last seven days, according to Medical Xpress. The US is experiencing its worst year for measles since 1991, with seven reported measles-associated deaths in the last two years, exceeding the combined total of reported deaths over the previous three decades.
Brief written by urgent.news from CBS News, Medical Xpress, STAT News — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
