It's sort of ironic that one of my posts yesterday was about Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's use of a health department regulatory rewrite to do an end run around a state constitutional amendment that truncated his emergency dictatorial powers.
One of the new additions to the list of justifications for invoking these extraordinary and dystopian powers is something called a 'condition.' As in, if the 'condition' arises that the health department/governor feels it is incumbent upon themselves to suspend all citizens' rights and freedoms in order to address said 'condition' to their satisfaction, not yours. Yes, a completely nebulous term triggering authoritarian measures on purpose.
...It doesn't matter when the state health code is being rewritten to go around it. And when the word 'condition' is added to the list of qualifying events for the health department to go all brownshirt on citizens.
...The Pennsylvania Department of Health can currently only impose disease control measures when attempting to provide “surveillance” of infectious disease outbreaks. Added clauses in the massive 502-page regulation proposal unveiled on August 8 would allow the department to implement disease control measures not only for surveillance, but also for the “prevention, containment, or mitigation” of a disease, infection, or “condition.” Disease “prevention” could include measures such as coerced vaccination and mask mandates, without the active spread of infectious disease. The term “condition,” another new addition to the health code, is nebulously defined as a “noninfectious medical ailment or other health-related event.”
A 'condition,' as the Daily Wire rightly notes, can be anything. They ask if a mental issue qualifies as a 'condition' that would trigger these authoritarian powers and have received no answer thus far.
Why wouldn't 'mad about a stolen election' count as a 'condition'? It could, right?
All this just as a measles outbreak is happening in the state's bucolic Lancaster County, and has sadly claimed the first two victims.
Two people in Pennsylvania have died after contracting measles, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the first US measles-related fatalities of the year. In 2025, the country saw three measles fatalities, including two school-age children in Texas.
Both individuals who died were unvaccinated and resided in Lancaster County, where there have been 185 cases in 2026, making it one of the largest measles outbreaks in the United States this year. In total, Pennsylvania has had 393 cases in 2026, the third-highest tally in the country.
To protect the privacy of the individuals and their families, Pennsylvania's health department said it will not release additional details that could personally identify them.
"My deepest sympathies are with the loved ones who are facing this unimaginable loss," said Pennsylvania health secretary Debra Bogen, MD. "Because measles was largely eliminated in the Commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don't fully understand the potential severity of the illness."
Details have been sketchy from the beginning. The only information available was that they occurred in Lancaster, and eventually we learned that the victims were unvaccinated and elderly. Nothing else do we know.
The implication, of course, is that this outbreak is happening among the sizable Amish community, which is what Lancaster is famous for. And the Amish, besides their cultural and religious aversion to the trappings of modernity, also eschew many aspects of modern medicine, including vaccinations. The Lancaster County Amish are considered the Heartland Population for the Amish people across North America. As of 2025, there are over 43,630 Amish in that single group spread across Lancaster and surrounding PA counties as well as neighboring Cecil County, MD.
I and quite a few others believe this is what we are meant to infer - that it's an Amish outbreak - from what's basically radio silence on any of the details. The lack of information seems really strange, as it is also not helpful when the public should know where a contagion is located so they can be warned and stay well clear.
What many people do not realize is that there are now two Lancasters: the residents who live alongside the Amish and their bucolic buggies with horses, and the mainly Hispanic immigrants* in Lancaster City.
This has started its own internecine Lancaster War.
On one side, the Democrat-run city council of Lancaster City, which laid down the 'sanctuary' marker two years ago...
A city in Pennsylvania embraces immigrants as tensions over 'sanctuary' policies rise across the country
Officials in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, recently codified into law city policies that have been in effect since 2019 limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
The all-Democrat Lancaster City Council unanimously passed an ordinance last month preventing local police and any city official from inquiring about a person’s immigration status unless it's required by state or federal law or by court order, or reasonably necessary in the course of a criminal investigation. It also prohibits them from providing any information to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that could result in civil or noncriminal immigration enforcement actions.
...in a city where, in 2024, almost 50% of the population was Hispanic, and 96% of the school kids spoke Spanish.
OH, HELLO
...The Lancaster community “has had an overwhelmingly positive attitude” about the adoption of the Trust Act on Feb. 27, said CASA state director Daniel Alvalle. “All individuals, regardless of status, deserve safety, security and refuge, he said. “They should be encouraged to report crime, whether towards property or themselves without fear of being profiled or asked about immigration status.”
Councilwoman Janet Diaz told NBC News that she understands people have concerns around the bill and that she has received emails calling for it to be revoked. But Diaz said she voted for it to protect the rights of noncitizens and ensure they feel comfortable coming forward if they ever experience any harm from workplace injuries, sexual assault or domestic violence.
Forty percent of Lancaster’s population identifies as Hispanic, with about 11% not being proficient in English. Approximately 13% of the city’s total population is foreign-born. Ninety-six percent of the student population in the Lancaster school district report speaking Spanish.
To the contrary, Lancaster County and several other local cities quickly declared themselves 'NON-sanctuary' locations and emphasized their cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Some Lancaster County municipalities are following the lead of the county’s two Republican county commissioners in declaring themselves “nonsanctuary” communities, three months after the commissioners pushed back against Lancaster city’s “Welcome City” ordinance.
Other municipalities have dismissed the resolutions as frivolous.
On March 20, GOP county commissioners Josh Parsons and Ray D’Agostino passed a resolution reaffirming that county government would cooperate with federal immigration authorities and urging Lancaster city leaders to repeal its ordinance. Democratic Commissioner Alice Yoder voted against the resolution.
The resolution doesn’t change how county government operates; it merely reinforces that county employees, including the offices of the district attorney and sheriff, will continue to comply with federal immigration laws. Parsons and D’Agostino put the resolution on the table to push back against the city’s policy, which restricts employees and officials from inquiring about people’s immigration status.
At least five municipalities have passed nonsanctuary resolutions since February, and three more are debating adopting their own language to declare their support of immigration law enforcement. More are likely to take up discussion of the issue in the near future, as residents ask local leaders to consider the move.
So smack in the middle of what is generally acknowledged as Amish country, you have a declared illegal alien sanctuary that two years ago was already well on its way to a majority Hispanic population, which has a 'Certified Welcoming City' program going...
Lancaster Welcomes: Embracing Diversity with a Strategic Welcome Plan for Immigrants and Refugees
...and has opened its arms to the world.
Lancaster takes great pride in its rich, 300-year tradition of embracing newcomers. Recognized as “America’s refugee capital,” the city has received national recognition for its enduring commitment to welcoming refugees. The City of Lancaster is honored to be a Certified Welcoming City—the first in Pennsylvania to receive this distinction. This designation reflects the collective efforts of dedicated community benefit organizations, local businesses, and engaged residents who work together to cultivate a strong sense of belonging. Through this ongoing partnership, Lancaster remains a place where all neighbors are welcomed and valued.
But none of this is mentioned.
I can't imagine why. What do illegal and new immigrant populations have in common with the Amish?
We can put it politely and call it 'vaccine hesitancy,' but the Amish tend to handle their ills efficiently. The Third World just brings theirs along to share.
So is this silence on the origin of the measles a case of another one of those protected classes, or is the state keeping things close to the vest to maximize the moment?
We are to assume the Amish are spreading the contagion, and the governor has seen fit not to add pertinent details to help his citizens, but to throw shade at Trump and the head of his Health and Human Services.
I was just wondering when the facts of these cases were going to come out.
— j maguire III (@maguireIII) August 26, 2026
Shouldn’t elderly people already HAVE the vaccine?!?!?! Where were they when they got it?!??!
All relevant to the conversation but were kept quiet just to stir up the OrAnGe MaN bAd crowd!!!🙄🙄🙄
Shapiro is really shaping up to be as manipulative and thoroughly capable of evil-doing as anyone we've seen in action in a while.
And even now, the plot thickens - this was a Lancaster County Commissioner after the governor's press conference:
Important information about the measles press conference today: Today Governor Shapiro, members of Penn Medicine LGH, and members of the PA Department of Health (DOH) held a press conference announcing two “measles-associated deaths” in Lancaster County.
— Commissioner Josh Parsons (@CommissionerJP) August 25, 2026
Officials provided…
Officials provided virtually no background information about these “measles-associated” deaths. DOH said to “protect the privacy of the individuals and their families, DOH will not release any additional details that could personally identify these individuals and their families,” however, they did release the medical information that the two were unvaccinated.
Thus, they did not release age, background, or comorbidity information, but did release vaccination information.
It is important to know whether these two people died OF measles or WITH measles.
Given this is important information for us to have, and that the public and media have many questions about this, I reached out to the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office for information.
Deaths attributed to a communicable disease, under the law, are required to be reported to the Coroner’s office.
The Coroner’s office indicates that it currently has ZERO reported cases where measles is the immediate cause of death.
They have one case where a person died WITH measles, but not FROM measles. Measles was definitely NOT the cause of death in that case.
Given this information, it appears at least on the surface that incorrect information was provided to the public today. That information set off significant media interest in Lancaster County, both locally and nationally.
Perhaps there is an explanation, but it is incumbent on the individuals and organizations that had the press conference today to provide that information to the public in a timely and accurate way.
What a mess.
As for the two poor older fellows who passed away, there are a few notes about the measles vaccination for those of us of a certain age that I wanted to pass on just as an FYI:
For most people who have received two doses of the MMR vaccine, there is no need for a measles booster shot, says Deborah Fuller, PhD, a professor of microbiology and a vaccine researcher at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.
But there are some groups who could benefit. Dr. Fuller says you should talk to your healthcare provider about a booster if:
- You’ve only had one measles shot. A second dose is particularly important for healthcare workers, college students, some people with HIV, and people close to anyone with a compromised immune system. (Immunocompromised people themselves may not be eligible for vaccination.)
- You were vaccinated between 1968 and 1989. “There may be some gap in immunity, as during that time only one dose was recommended,” says Catherine Troisi, PhD, a professor of management policy and community health at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health.
- You were vaccinated between 1963 and 1967. During these years, some vaccines used an inactive virus, which was not as effective as the current vaccine, which is a live, attenuated (weakened) type. Dr. Troisi says that, to be safe, adults in this group should get at least one booster with the current vaccine.
This is really something else, and they need to get it squared away, STAT, without Shapiro invoking any of those new superpowers.
* The Lancaster City area is home to diverse immigrant and refugee communities originating from places like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burma, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Cuba
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