Doctors furious as measles outbreak claims two lives amid Trump vaccine skepticism

A number of medical professionals expressed outrage Tuesday as the ongoing measles outbreak claimed two lives in Pennsylvania — the state’s first measles death in 35 years — amid Trump administration policies and rhetoric that critics have said exacerbated the issue.

“Two measles deaths in Pennsylvania. What a tragedy,” wrote Neil Stone, a British infectious-disease physician, in a social media post on X Tuesday. “A completely avoidable tragedy. Measles vaccine is incredibly safe and highly effective at preventing measles. This is MAHA...sadly.”

The Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed “two measles-associated deaths” on Tuesday, with both individuals listed as being unvaccinated. The deaths come amid a "historic resurgence” of the virus this year, with more than 2,700 cases recorded since January as of Tuesday, “more than any other year since 1991,” CNN noted.

Outrage from medical experts was frequently directed at the Trump administration, which has routinely engaged in vaccine skepticism. The administration has also caused disruptions within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that critics say handicapped the agency's ability to respond to the measles outbreak in Texas.

“Our new normal, tragically,” wrote Peter Hotez, a prominent American physician and vaccine researcher, in a social media post on X.

“Among the unvaccinated, measles causes measles pneumonia or encephalitis leading to hospitalization in about 10-20% of patients. It’s a terrible illness, and there’s no reason for allowing its return.”

And Isaac Bogoch, a Canadian infectious disease physician and scientist, expressed his sadness over what he characterized as a preventable tragedy.

“So sad to hear this,” Bogoch wrote in a social media post on X to his more than 176,000 followers. “The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is free, widely available, extraordinarily effective, and backed by decades of safety data.”