How Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak changed the vaccine mindset of this Amish country midwife

Key Points:

• Pennsylvania is experiencing its largest measles outbreak in over 30 years, centered in Lancaster County, with 731 cases reported across 38 counties and linked to four recent deaths, including two Amish infants.
• Roberta Devers, a traditional midwife serving Amish communities, advocates for vaccination and wants permission to administer the MMR vaccine herself, but state law currently prohibits unlicensed midwives from providing vaccines.
• Amish communities have low vaccination rates partly due to limited access and partial abstention from modern medicine, though they have historically accepted vaccines during outbreaks; recent misinformation campaigns have further complicated vaccine acceptance.
• The Pennsylvania Department of Health has held numerous pop-up vaccination clinics and emphasizes the outbreak affects diverse communities beyond the Amish population, but expanding vaccine administration rights to traditional midwives would require legislative changes.
• Devers highlights the urgent need for vaccination to prevent further deaths, urging public health authorities to reconsider regulations to involve trusted midwives in outbreak response efforts.