Republican senator blames Trump administration policies for measles deaths in Pennsylvania

Health committee chair Bill Cassidy said fatal outbreak of disease is a ‘terrible legacy’ for Trump administration

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Senator Bill Cassidy, the Republican chairman of the US Senate health committee, blamed the Trump administration’s vaccine-skeptical approach for ‌recent measles deaths in Pennsylvania and challenged Donald Trump’s pick for surgeon general to directly state that vaccines do not cause autism on Wednesday.

Cassidy, a Louisiana physician who chairs the panel, said three people in Pennsylvania had died of measles, with a fourth death under review, because ​of misinformation and misguided policies. His remarks come as the US grapples with its worst measles outbreak in over three decades.