The Dutch Hammer

Measles questions. Let’s be clear- when the Governor comes into our county and holds a press conference with PA Department of Health and Penn Medicine Lancaster general Health and states there were two “measles-associated deaths” here, with the underlying assertion that the two people died FROM measles, and they are the first deaths from measles in 35 years, and that announcement sets off numerous media reports uncritically repeating that two people died FROM measles in Lancaster County, and Lancaster County elected officials then get questions about this – it is totally fair for me to ask for relevant information on those deaths. Asking questions is not “pro-measles.” Asking for information that should have been provided at the press conference is not “anti-science.” It is simply wanting the whole story for my constituents. When officials who hold a big press conference and make big headlines – those officials owe us more than the headlines. They owe us the whole truth. They owe us accurate information by which the people of Lancaster County can make decisions about their health and safety. It has been about 24 hours since the press conference. We do not have any answers. Of course journalists should also be asking these questions rather than uncritically repeating something. Any deaths from measles are required by law to be reported to the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office. I have spoken at length with both a senior staff member from that office and the Coroner himself. They currently have zero measles deaths in Lancaster County. They have one death of a person who died WITH measles, but not from measles. We do not know if the state is counting that one. Nor do we know anything about the other death that officials reported yesterday. Is there an unlikely scenario where a patient from here got measles and sought care outside of Lancaster County and died there and it was reported to another county coroner? Yes. I am open to that or other unlikely possibilities. But if one of these unlikely scenarios is the case, the people holding the press conference had, and currently have, a responsibility to provide that information. The law DOES allow release of more information. Demographic information that does not identify the patient may be released. I reached out to Penn Medicine LGH. No response. I reached out the Governor’s office. No response. I talked with our Lancaster County Department of Public Safety Director. He has no additional information from the state. I asked questions this morning at our Board of Commissioners meeting of Commissioner Alice Yoder who was at the press conference yesterday and is a former official at Penn Medicine LGH. She did not have any answers. (This exchange is on video and will be available later today.) So as of right now, we have ZERO information that corroborates the idea that there were two measles deaths in Lancaster County. Again, everything stated could be accurate. But no one in authority has been able to say that, nor have they even tried to say it. To me it is a big deal if the Governor comes in and gives a press conference and then no one can or will identify simple details around what was stated and what then generated major news stories. Transparency is owed to the people. It is incumbent on those who held the press conference to clear this up. Immediately.