Shapiro and Garrity Split on Vaccine Rules and Child Death Reviews

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania's gubernatorial candidates disagree on how to manage the state's measles outbreak and whether to fund county reviews of child deaths, according to statements and campaign responses ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

As of Oct. 27, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 1,286 measles cases this year and five measles-associated deaths, with cases concentrated in the center of the commonwealth. The CDC has confirmed three measles-related deaths nationwide. Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity has criticized Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro for announcing two infant deaths his administration attributed to measles. In an emailed statement, Garrity said she would have deployed health officials to the outbreak area and worked with localities and the federal government to secure resources. The Lancaster County coroner concluded one infant's death was caused by measles, while disagreeing with other medical professionals about the second.

Shapiro has challenged federal vaccine policy. Following a change in the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, he asked Pennsylvania's Board of Pharmacy to act, and the board voted to rely on suggestions from other authorities. Pennsylvania officials adopted the schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Shapiro signed a 2025 executive order directing the state Insurance Department to require insurers to cover vaccines endorsed by leading medical organizations, and he joined a multistate lawsuit challenging federal changes. His office did not answer a question about whether he would support changes to state vaccination law, which permits exemptions for medical, religious, or philosophical convictions in public schools and subsidized childcare programs.

Garrity's campaign said she respects the religious beliefs of Pennsylvania residents and would encourage families to vaccinate their children. Asked at the candidates' only debate about appearing with federal Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy at a student nutrition rally in the state Capitol, Garrity said she attended in support of healthy eating for children. She stated she is fully vaccinated and believes in vaccines. Her campaign has not responded to questions about whether her administration would seek to make childcare more affordable, and her position could not be found on her campaign website or in news articles.

Shapiro has acted on childcare costs. In 2023 he signed a law expanding Pennsylvania's Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit from up to 30% of the federal credit to 100%, raising the maximum per-family credit from $630 to $2,100. In 2025, he and the General Assembly created a credit for employers contributing to workers' childcare costs, worth up to 30% of eligible contributions with a $500 cap per employee. That year, lawmakers allocated $25 million for roughly $450-per-person bonuses for staff at licensed Child Care Works providers, and this year's budget added $5 million.

Counties are required to review the circumstances of every death of a person under 21 and develop prevention strategies. Spotlight PA found earlier this year that county panels have reviewed half of all cases since 2020. Act 33 also requires county investigations when a child younger than 18 dies or nearly dies due to suspected abuse or neglect. Neither candidate answered a question about what changes to Act 33 they would pursue.

Shapiro proposed $2.5 million for state-level coordination of the child death review effort. The final budget included less than $250,000. Shapiro spokesperson Rosie Laposky called the result a compromise reflecting the reality of working with a divided government. Garrity did not respond to a question about how she would address the program.