MASA! Oh, wait. I could get deported for speaking Spanish.
For the first time in 35 years, that two people have died from measles, the state health department in Pennsylvania said Tuesday. Both people did not get vaccinated for a disease that was once considered eliminated in USA….until “Make America Sick Again” started spewing their anti-science, anti-vaxxer nonsense.
“Because measles was largely eliminated in the Commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don’t fully understand the potential severity of the illness,” Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen wrote in a statement. “As a physician, I want to make sure that people understand that the MMR vaccine is safe and provides the best protection we have against measles.”
In late July, the number of confirmed measles cases in the U.S. surpassed the total reported for all last year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Last year’s total of 2,289 was the highest number of recorded measles cases in more than 30 years, CDC data shows. However, the 2,777 total marks the highest number of cases recorded since 1991.
The people who died lived in Lancaster County, which has seen the majority of measles cases in the state’s growing outbreak. As of Tuesday, 393 cases had been confirmed. Eighty-six had been diagnosed in the past week.
So far 70 people in the state have been hospitalized for measles complications.
Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order meant to drive down the number of vaccines recommended for children. The move, which was backed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, drew sharp criticism from pediatricians and public health experts.