LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — An infant was one of two reported “measles-associated” deaths in Lancaster County, the Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed.
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The Lancaster County Coroner’s Office is investigating that death, but is not currently investigating the other measles-associated death, according to the Department of Health (DOH). The department also stated that not all deaths are referred to the county coroner under PA law.
“PA DOH uses the term ‘measles-associated’ when laboratory or epidemiologic evidence of measles is present, but the disease may not be assessed by the medical certifier or coroner to be the immediate cause of death,” a spokesperson said. “Not all deaths are referred to a coroner under Pennsylvania law,” a Pennsylvania Department of Health spokesperson clarified.
The state said the deceased were both unvaccinated, but it has not released any identifying information of the two individuals.
Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons said he spoke with Coroner Stephen Diamantoni, who told him that his office has recorded zero measles deaths, and one death of a person who died with measles.
“It is important to know whether these two people died OF measles or WITH measles,” Parsons wrote on X.
He continued, “So as of right now, we have ZERO information that corroborates the idea that there were two measles deaths in Lancaster County.”
As of Wednesday, the state has reported 424 total measles cases, leading to 73 hospitalizations and the two “measles-associated” deaths reported Tuesday.
At the time of writing, Lancaster County has the leading number of cases at 197.