Pennsylvania Governor's Vaccine Industry Ties Scrutinized After Measles Deaths

By morganverity // 2026-08-28

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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) awarded Sanofi Pasteur a $10.6 million state grant on June 26, 2026, at the company's Swiftwater facility, according to a governor's office release. On Aug. 25, 2026, Shapiro held a press conference in Lancaster County announcing two "measles-associated" deaths and blaming Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and President Donald Trump, according to a governor's office release. State documents show Pennsylvania's Executive Order (EO) 2025-02 asserts the commonwealth manufactures more than half of U.S. vaccines, according to the order's text. The Lancaster County coroner told local media he had handled zero measles deaths, and one case involved an infant who died of a ruptured spleen, officials said. The state's announcement did not disclose the grant or the state's broader financial relationship with vaccine manufacturers, according to the governor's office release and state documents.

State Investment in Vaccine Manufacturers

According to Pennsylvania's official website, the Shapiro administration has documented more than $5.5 billion in pharmaceutical and life-sciences investments since 2023. These include $3.5 billion from Eli Lilly and $800 million from GlaxoSmithKline in Lancaster County. EO 2025-02, signed Oct. 1, 2025, contains a whereas clause stating the commonwealth "manufactures more than one-half of all vaccines administered in the United States," according to the order. The order directs the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PADH) to capitalize on the Keystone State's vaccine manufacturing position in public-health policy, the order states. A June 26, 2026, governor's office release says Sanofi's Swiftwater plant produces about 42% of U.S. flu vaccine doses annually. State officials have framed these investments as economic development, according to the governor's office release. The EO's language explicitly ties the state's public-health policy to its industrial position in vaccine manufacturing, according to the order's text.

The Lancaster Press Conference and Missing Disclosures

At the Aug. 25 press conference, Shapiro called the deaths "completely preventable" and blamed Kennedy and Trump, according to a governor's office release, but did not mention the Sanofi grant or other state vaccine industry ties. The PADH said both deceased were unvaccinated, but did not release immediate causes of death, comorbidities, or assay data, as stated in the department's release. Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni told local media his office had handled zero measles deaths. One infant died of a lacerated spleen with measles antibodies present, officials said. The PADH's claim it was not required to report deaths to coroners was contradicted by the coroner and legal experts citing Pennsylvania Title 16, according to statements from Commissioner Josh Parsons. County officials said the state's characterization of the deaths did not match the coroner's findings, according to Parsons' public statements.

Protect Our Care's Role and Ties to Shapiro

Protect Our Care (POC), a fiscally sponsored project of the Sixteen Thirty Fund, issued a statement within hours of the Lancaster announcement saying "Trump and RFK Jr. have blood on their hands," according to the organization's release. The group's president, Brad Woodhouse, previously led Americans United for Change, which seeded the Sixteen Thirty Fund Moreover, POC's staff includes no physicians or epidemiologists, according to its public roster. In December 2025, POC hired Bridget Malcom, a former short-form video strategist for Shapiro's office, according to her LinkedIn profile and POC's announcements. Shapiro's own 2020 tweet shows he joined POC's Coronavirus War Room, and his administration officials attended a September 2025 POC event, according to POC press releases. The group had been running an anti-Kennedy campaign for months before the deaths were announced, according to POC's public statements.

Calls for Transparency and Ethics Review

Shapiro's executive order 1980-18, reaffirmed in 2023 and 2024, requires state officials to file financial interest statements and bars conflicts, according to the order's text. The Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission (PSEC) has jurisdiction to investigate potential conflicts, said legal experts contacted by GreenMedInfo founder Sayer Ji, who exposed the ties in an article published on his Substack. The PADH has not released de-identified clinical data for the two deaths, a fact noted by the Lancaster County Commissioner in a public statement. Ji did not make a determination of wrongdoing. Rather, his Aug. 27 piece posed a question for the PSEC and public scrutiny. The unresolved questions center on whether the state's financial ties to vaccine manufacturers should have been disclosed during the press conference and whether the deaths were accurately characterized, according to statements from county officials.

References

NaturalNews.com. "Landmark deal: Fracking company admits criminal responsibility, will pay $16.29 million to build Pennsylvania water system". NaturalNews.com. December 02, 2022.
ChildrensHealthDefense.org. "As Health Concerns Escalate After Ohio Train". ChildrensHealthDefense.org.
Cassie B. "Suspect admits targeting Pennsylvania governor in arson attack". NaturalNews.com. April 14, 2025.
David Kirby. "Evidence of Harm: Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic".
Tom Wilber. "Under the Surface: Fracking, Fortunes, and the Fate of the Marcellus Shale".
Mike Adams interview with Alix Mayer. May 14 2025.
ChildrensHealthDefense.org. "COVID Vaccines: Public Deserves More Than 'Just Trust Us'". ChildrensHealthDefense.org.
Mike Adams. "Brighteon Broadcast News - MEASLES FAKERY". Brighteon.com. May 14, 2025.
Mike Adams. "Brighteon Broadcast News - Russia's Medvedev Warns NATO". Brighteon.com. February 08, 2024.

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