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A 20-year-old Amish woman with leukemia died in the state's largest measles outbreak in decades
Inquirer.com • • general
Key Points:
- A 20-year-old Amish woman in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, who was undergoing treatment for leukemia, died from complications of measles and double pneumonia amid the state’s largest measles outbreak in decades.
- The woman was the last of nine unvaccinated siblings to contract measles in her family; her immune system was severely weakened by chemotherapy, making her especially vulnerable to the virus.
- Despite home remedies and initial improvement, her condition worsened, requiring emergency hospital care and ventilation, which was eventually discontinued by the family due to poor prognosis.
- Pennsylvania has reported five measles-related deaths this year, all in unvaccinated individuals, including adults and infants, highlighting increased vulnerability as unvaccinated children age into adulthood.
- The Amish family does not oppose vaccines on religious grounds but views vaccination as a personal choice; the woman was ineligible for the measles vaccine due to her immunocompromised state from cancer treatment.
