Maybe Measles, Definitely a Power Grab: Shapiro’s Public‑Health Misdirection Act
Pennsylvania’s governor talks outbreaks and vaccines while his health bureaucracy quietly claims more authority.
We can’t pretend Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is moderate anymore.
A skilled politician with presidential aspirations, Shapiro is currently running a classic red-herring misdirection operation using the legitimate public concern over two purported “measles-associated” deaths in Lancaster County. Only, despite a slew of media headlines declaring that measles deaths are surging in Pennsylvania, it is not clear if anyone has died directly from measles.
Shapiro held a press conference on Aug. 25 in Lancaster County where, using the measles narrative, he urgently called for stronger childhood vaccination compliance and picked a fight with U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The governor never mentioned his outrageous public health regulation changes, which will give the state authority to talk to your kids, look at your medical records, and enter your home against your will.
Shapiro’s amendments to the “Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases” policy are now in the state review process, and he really hopes you will keep talking about vaccines—maybe even demand better vaccine compliance—and not look at his related policy proposal.
Oh, we’re going to look at it. But first, let’s get a handle on this red herring.
The Blunt Governor
Shapiro told reporters at the Lancaster press conference he was late because he had been in his car, on the phone with Kennedy.
"I was very, very blunt with him, and I made very clear that his actions and the rhetoric that's coming from this administration are having a negative impact on communities across America, particularly right here in Pennsylvania—that there's real-life consequences to spreading misinformation." Shapiro accused Kennedy of “Sharing conspiracy theories and misinformation” that make it hard for the state to “protect our children."
A hallmark of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet members is that they answer criticism with facts. Kennedy answered with a long social media post.
“At his press conference,” Kennedy wrote, “Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro accused me of promoting conspiracy theories because I told him, during an earlier telephone conversation, that some Americans had religious objections to the MMR vaccine because it contained fetal tissue. ‘There is no fetal tissue in the MMR,’ he told me.’” Then Kennedy went on to debunk Shapiro’s claim.
At his press conference today, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro accused me of promoting conspiracy theories because I told him, during an earlier telephone conversation, that some Americans had religious objections to the MMR vaccine because it contained fetal tissue. “There is…
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) August 26, 2026
During the press conference, reporters asked why the state refused to provide ages or any other details about the two people who died. They got nowhere.
“Out of respect for their privacy, we will not be releasing additional personal details,” said Dr. Debra L. Bogen, Pennsylvania’s secretary of health. “Protecting the confidentiality of residents is a core responsibility of the Department of Health.”
Remember she said that.
COVID-style Counting
At the same time, Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons had questions. Mainly, what measles deaths? But he couldn’t get details from Shapiro’s administration.
“Any deaths from measles are required by law to be reported to the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office,” Parsons posted on social media. “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.”
According to Parsons, the county recorded “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.”
That’s like counting someone who died in a car crash as a COVID death because they had COVID at the time.
Parsons didn’t make one casual ask and stop looking. He has been actively seeking answers.
Measles questions.
— Commissioner Josh Parsons (@CommissionerJP) August 26, 2026
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…
“When the Governor comes into our county . . . 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 . . . it is totally fair for me to ask for relevant information on those deaths,” Parsons wrote on Aug. 26.
“They owe us accurate information by which the people of Lancaster County can make decisions about their health and safety,” he continued. “It has been about 24 hours since the press conference. We do not have any answers.”
That same day, Kennedy revealed that the state is not sharing details with the feds either. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tried and failed to get the same information from Shapiro.
https://x.com/TheChiefNerd/status/2092656028022194518?s=20
When asked about the situation during a Florida press conference, Kennedy told reporters that he has sent CDC officials to work with other states’ health agencies whenever there’s been a notable measles outbreak.
“The only state that won’t cooperate with us is Pennsylvania, and we can’t get any information,” he said, according to a Florida Phoenix report. “The press is all covering this [as] if those measles deaths actually happened, and nobody is doing any critical inquiry to find out—we’re trying to find out whether those deaths actually happened, and we can’t figure that out.”
If you grabbed some popcorn for the show, Shapiro is glad you are watching. Media and the public are looking exactly where he wants. Soon, folks will be begging for policy change—to save lives, for the children.
Major Rule Changes
Meanwhile, the public has not heard much about Shapiro’s wildly invasive public health policy changes that seize power from local school boards and give the state scary new authority over your life—all in the name of health for the collective.
“Comprehensive amendments to the regulations are needed to expand the list of reportable diseases, infections and conditions, to address changing standards and recommendations from experts . . . to ensure the overall public health and safety by reducing the risk and spread of diseases, infections and conditions,” the preamble to the policies reads.
“Examples of ‘conditions’ that impact public health include photokeratitis linked to light bulbs, chemical exposure from a train derailments [sic.], and lead, carbon monoxide and pesticide illnesses,” the amendment reads.
The proposal gives state or local public health officials the authority to “enter an apartment, a building, a health care facility, a school, college or university, or other location as necessary to conduct its investigation” of “public health emergencies and unusual occurrences of disease, infections and conditions” and “a person shall not obstruct or interfere with the Department or local health authority’s investigation.”
During an investigation, the Department of Health will have access inside schools when classes are in session or at any other time a person under investigation is present at school. School employees and officials must allow a public health authority to “meet and speak with a student or other person, in private, and to prohibit the person from interfering with the student or other person’s ability to exercise their right to give consent,” for medical services to determine the presence of or treat venereal disease and other reportable diseases.
“The consent of no other person shall be necessary,” the policy adds. Meaning, the state would be allowed to diagnose and treat a child in school—without telling that child’s parents.
And remember when Bogen said, “Protecting the confidentiality of residents is a core responsibility of the Department of Health”?
The department proposes a policy change allowing state and local health officials to access and review medical records held by health care practitioners, hospitals, and other health care facilities, and it requires that no one obstruct said access.
The policy document is 502 pages and requests numerous language and policy changes that demand critical thought about the implications. For example, the state wants to start an electronic birth defects registry and require the reporting of birth defects.
We’ve Seen This Before
It’s helpful to know that in 1974, Pennsylvania’s legislature added a rule in the school code giving school boards, superintendents, and principals the authority to ensure every child entering school had received their immunizations. The secretary of health or the health board may “advise,” but schools have the “duty.”
With no legislative involvement, Shapiro’s plan removes local school board control over health matters and gives it to the state.
That matters because we know how easily a declared health emergency can turn into government control.
Former Gov. Tom Wolf signed a disaster declaration on March 6, 2020, and used it to close schools for just 10 days starting March 13. He closed “non-essential” businesses on March 19 and issued stay-at-home orders on March 23.
Then came the mask mandates, social distancing, vaccination mandates, and the rewriting of election laws. The 2020 general election passed, followed by Thanksgiving, Christmas, prom, graduation, and five 90-day extensions (450 total extended days) of the disaster declaration.
In May 2021, Pennsylvania’s then-Republican-led Senate and House completed the long process of amending the state’s Constitution, which requires passage in two consecutive legislative sessions and a statewide public vote. The measure they put to voters declared that a governor needs legislative approval for any emergency declaration lasting more than 21 days. Only then did Wolf loosen his grip and end his COVID-19 restrictions.
Pennsylvania’s House is Democrat-led now. Such relief would never pass today. That’s what makes Shapiro’s move to empower the Department of Health so troubling.
Pennsylvania House Republican Leader Jesse Topper has called on the Shapiro administration to withdraw the proposed regulations.
“One of the principal lessons learned through the unilateral approach taken to mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic was that the people demand their civil rights and individual freedom over government mandates,” Topper said in a statement. “While there may be room for improvement in managing matters of public health and the spread of communicable diseases, we can never trade constitutional protections and personal liberty for the heavy hand of government.”
Shapiro’s lack of transparency over the nature of the measles-associated deaths gives the public no reason to trust the major policy shift he is not talking about. Notice how he operates.
Shapiro doesn’t have a nose ring, but don’t let the blue suit fool you. Government control over healthcare is a socialist ideal. Don’t let anyone tell you he’s a moderate.
