Lancaster Officials Investigate Second Child Death Involving Measles Lancaster County officials are investigating a second death involving a child who tested positive for measles as federal and state leaders dispute the role of misinformation.
--- Lancaster County Coroner Stephen Diamantoni confirmed on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, that his office is investigating the death of a second child who reportedly died after testing positive for measles. The announcement follows a report from the Pennsylvania Department of Health stating that two unvaccinated residents in the county had died after contracting the virus. The deaths mark the first measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania in 35 years and the first reported in the United States this year.
The investigations coincide with an increase in measles activity. As of Aug. 26, 2026, Pennsylvania reported more than 420 measles cases across 30 counties this year, with nearly 20% resulting in hospitalization. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 2,777 cases by late July, surpassing the total for all of the previous year and reaching the highest level since 1991.
In the first case investigated by the coroner, a newborn baby was found to have had measles, but a forensic pathologist determined the cause of death was a laceration of the spleen and subsequent bleeding. Regarding the second case, Diamantoni stated he cannot say with certainty if it is the same death previously referenced by state officials. The coroner’s office expects the investigation into the second child's cause of death to take several weeks.
Federal and state officials have expressed differing views regarding the circumstances. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) attributed the deaths to vaccine misinformation, stating there are "real-life consequences" to scaring people away from medical advice. In response, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the administration is focused on "being truthful" and does not tolerate misinformation. Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, questioned whether the children died from measles or from other conditions while having the virus.
Local impacts have included potential exposure notices at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville after a visitor in the neonatal intensive care unit tested positive in mid-August. The CDC recommends a two-dose vaccine schedule (at 12-15 months and 4-6 years) as defense against a virus that has hospitalized one in five of those infected in the state this year.
The coroner’s findings will clarify whether measles was the primary cause or a contributing factor. The results of the investigation are expected in several weeks, alongside further data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
--- WHO: Lancaster County Coroner Stephen Diamantoni, Governor Josh Shapiro, and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. WHAT: Investigation into a second child's death involving a positive measles test in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026 WHERE: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania WHY: Pennsylvania is experiencing a measles outbreak, leading to the first measles-related deaths in the state in 35 years and a dispute between state and federal officials over the role of misinformation.