Unvaccinated Pennsylvania woman died of measles complications, coroner says

Primary Journalistic Dispatch & Direct Reporting

The 40-year-old unvaccinated woman reportedly had underlying health conditions.

A 40-year-old woman in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania has died of complications from measles, according to the county's coroner.

It marks the third vaccine-preventable, measles-linked death in the US this year. All three have occurred in Pennsylvania, which is experiencing an explosive outbreak that has caused over 670 cases and 124 hospitalizations across 37 counties . Prior to these deaths, Pennsylvania had not reported a measles death in 35 years.

In-Depth Developments & Factual Context

In a news release dated September 12, Jefferson County Coroner Greg Furlong said the death in the woman was "a heartbreaking loss for the family and an unfortunate reminder that measles can be a serious and potentially life-threatening disease."

The county's chief deputy coroner, Jason Stiver, added that "this tragedy highlights that measles should not be taken lightly."

"Many people associate measles with a childhood illness, but it can lead to severe complications in individuals of any age," Stiver said. "Measles is highly contagious and can result in serious respiratory illness, hospitalization, and in rare cases like this, death."

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While the news release stated that no additional information about the case would be provided, the New York Times obtained a preliminary death certificate. It indicated the woman had several chronic medical conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and she required supplemental oxygen at all times. Her health status made her vulnerable to complications from measles.

The death certificate listed the immediate cause of death as respiratory failure "due to suspected measles." Furlong told the Times that the woman's measles case had yet to be confirmed by testing, but that she was unvaccinated and known to have been exposed to someone with measles. At the time of her death, she had many symptoms of measles, including the tell-tale rash, which often begins as red spots on the head or face, and spreads down the body.

The news release noted that the coroner's office is working with the state health department, which has not yet added the death to the state's official outbreak tally. The health department provided a statement to the Washington Post saying that it was aware of the case.

Forward Outlook & Market Perspective

"We are in touch with the coroner and appreciate his commitment to keeping the public informed," the statement read. "The Department of Health is conducting a thorough review of this case and will provide the public with updated information when it becomes available."

The woman's measles-linked death follows reports of two others from the state's health department. Both occurred in babies in Lancaster County. Lancaster County coroner Stephen Diamantoni, confirmed one of the deaths was in a 6-week-old baby girl who had a severe genetic condition. In that case, Diamantoni, a Republican elected coroner in 2007, attributed the death directly to measles.

The other death was in a newborn boy, which the state counts as a measles-associated death under pre-determined case reporting guidelines. Diamantoni has publicly disputed that the death was due to measles, saying the baby was infected with measles but died of a ruptured spleen - which is a potential complication of measles. Overall, spleen ruptures are extremely rare in newborns and Diamantoni has provided no other explanation for the organ's failure. At the time of birth, the baby's unvaccinated mother was severely ill with measles. The mother, the father, and their midwife all believed measles was the cause of the baby's death.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - which is under the control of anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the current US health secretary - is not counting either of the two infant deaths in their measles data reporting. The agency cites a new requirement for reporting measles death that did not exist prior to events in Pennsylvania. The US Department of Health and Human Services did not respond earlier this month when Ars Technica inquired about the new rule.

Kennedy has publicly disputed the babies' measles-linked deaths and got into a heated online exchange about them with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. In that exchange, Kennedy spread misinformation about the measles vaccine and claimed Shapiro "fabricated" the deaths.

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