Shapiro says he’ll spurn federal measles aid until CDC confirms four deaths
Shapiro spoke with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins following a public feud with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the measles crisis in Pennsylvania. Shapiro had blamed Kennedy for the severity of the outbreak and claimed the secretary was directing the CDC not to report the measles deaths.
“We will be happy to accept additional support to deal with this crisis, but I’m not going to accept that until RFK does what is right and stops reaching down into his administration and directing the CDC staff not to acknowledge the pain and suffering of these four families in Pennsylvania, and acknowledge those deaths, deaths that have not only been certified as measles-associated by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, but also by three independent coroners here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said.
Pennsylvania has reported four measles-related deaths since August. An 18-year-old died on Tuesday, a 40-year-old woman died over the weekend, and two infants died last month, all of whom were not vaccinated.
Shapiro continued expressing his claim that Kennedy is the reason the deaths have not been reported by the CDC, adding that he is “surprised” President Donald Trump is allowing it to happen.
“RFK has reached down into his agency to take those names off the dashboard because it doesn’t meet his phony narrative,” Shapiro said. “Quite frankly, Kaitlan, I’m surprised that the president of the United States is letting him get away with this. I’m surprised that the president of the United States, confronted with the first measles outbreak in over 2 1/2 decades, knowing that RFK is stoking this, knowing that his health secretary tomorrow is scheduled to speak at a big anti-vax conference, knowing that he’s doing all that, people are getting sick. I’m surprised he’s letting him get away with it.”
The conference Shapiro is referring to is held by the Children’s Health Defense, which was co-founded by Kennedy and is a leading force in the anti-vaccination movement.
On Tuesday, Kennedy rejected Shapiro’s claims that he is barring the CDC from reporting the measles deaths, claiming the governor was politicizing the outbreak.
“Governor Shapiro has chosen to politicize this outbreak instead of implementing a unified public health response,” Kennedy said. “He continues to point the finger at me and the federal government and to malign the Amish while refusing the federal assistance that might help end the outbreak.”
Still, Shapiro accused Kennedy of diminishing the severity of measles and recounted a phone call they had last month.
RFK JR. CLAIMS CREDIT FOR BIG PHARMA’S SUCCESS IN OBESITY DECLINE
“I believe it’s because it doesn’t meet his phony narrative,” Shapiro said on Wednesday. “Look, he doesn’t believe that measles is an issue. When I spoke to him over the phone, he wanted to lecture me about natural measles, and, in many ways, making excuses. He blamed Joe Biden for all of this. I mean, he is someone who is not, I think, connected or grounded in reality.”
In Pennsylvania, the state Department of Health has reported 693 measles cases. There have been over 3,000 confirmed cases of measles in the United States in 2026. The recent deaths are the first caused by the disease in the state in 35 years, raising concern that the U.S. could lose its elimination status.
