Officials say a probable measles exposure occurred at the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania on September 11, potentially affecting two NICUs, an atrium and the main cafeteria. Pennsylvania is reporting 693 cases across 38 counties this year and has recorded four measles-related deaths. Exposed infants are being offered preventive antibody treatment, and vaccinated residents are not expected to be at risk from this exposure. The outbreak has also prompted scrutiny of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after reports he questioned case counts and intervened with the CDC.
Probable Measles Exposure at CHOP Sparks Alarm Amid Pennsylvania Surge and RFK Jr. Scrutiny
Measles Scare Hits Children’s Hospital as RFK Jr. Does Nothing
Health officials reported a probable measles exposure at the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania (CHOP), adding to what state and local authorities say is the worst year for measles in the U.S. since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000.
According to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, the likely exposure occurred on September 11 and may have affected two Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), an atrium area and the hospital’s main cafeteria. CHOP, the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health are coordinating the response.
“CHOP, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and PDPH are working closely to ensure potentially exposed infants receive a preventative antibody product to prevent or lessen severe disease and to take steps to prevent the further spread of measles,” the Philadelphia health department said in a Thursday statement.
Officials say infants who may have been exposed are being offered preventive antibody treatment (such as immune globulin) to reduce the risk of severe illness, and that health teams are taking measures to limit further spread. The Philadelphia health department added it does not expect vaccinated residents to be at risk from this particular exposure.
The CHOP notice arrives amid an escalating measles outbreak in Pennsylvania. State officials report 693 confirmed cases across 38 of the state’s 67 counties. As of Wednesday, four Pennsylvanians have died from measles this year: a 40-year-old unvaccinated woman, an 18-year-old unvaccinated teenager and two infants — the first measles-related deaths recorded in the state in 35 years.
The outbreak has also intensified scrutiny of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — described in some reports as serving in a senior health role — after media accounts said he disputed case counts and personally requested that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention remove two reported Pennsylvania deaths from its tally. Officials and public-health leaders have pushed back, urging that public-health data and processes remain transparent and science-driven.
Health departments urged anyone unsure of their measles vaccination status or who believes they may have been exposed to contact their healthcare provider or local health department for guidance. Hospitals and public-health agencies continue contact tracing and targeted prevention efforts to protect infants and other vulnerable people.
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