The US Just Recorded Its First 2 Measles Deaths This Year

The fatalities come amidst declining vaccination rates and calls from President Donald Trump to split up the MMR vaccine. Amid a 35-year high in US measles cases, two people in Pennsylvania have died after contracting the virus, the state's health department confirmed on Tuesday. They are the first measles-related deaths in the country this year. Both individuals were unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County in south-central Pennsylvania, which has a large Amish population. The health department said in a statement that it would not be releasing additional information about the individuals to protect their privacy.