Jeanne Franklin

“But they’re willing to have the conversation and make a decision on what’s happening today. They’re not making decisions based on the myths out there, but because their neighbors are impacted.”

Jeanne Franklin · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-04

Franklin said Amish residents are willing to have conversations about vaccination because their neighbors are impacted.

“they were either unaware of it or they don’t seek out healthcare as frequently as other residents”

Jeanne Franklin · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-04

Franklin said many Amish people have not been vaccinated not because they are anti-vaxxers but because they were unaware or don't seek healthcare as frequently.

“It’s going to keep going and find a person who isn’t vaccinated. We’re operating with the assumption that the disease may jump and spread to non-Plain [Amish] community members. Our goal is to prevent that, but we assume that it may happen.”

Jeanne Franklin · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-04

Franklin said officials are operating under the assumption that measles may spread beyond the Amish community.

“By having our own health department [it] means that we already have the infrastructure in place, and we prepare for these things all year round,”

Jeanne Franklin · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-04

Franklin said having a local health department gives Chester county an advantage because infrastructure is already in place.

“With the number of counties [the state has] to provide support to, they can’t possibly know all the key partners in a geographical area.”

Jeanne Franklin · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-04

Franklin said the state cannot know all key partners in a geographical area given the number of counties it must support.

“We have people in key positions saying it isn’t an outbreak, it isn’t a problem. We have people who approach our nurses and say that they were told the vaccine will make them sterile, or that there’s a microchip within it,”

Jeanne Franklin · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-04

Franklin described misinformation residents have shared with nurses, including claims that the vaccine causes sterility or contains a microchip.

“The state has a finite set of employees, while I can pull my employees away from their normal jobs and say we need help with this. We live here, we know it, and we’re working with the communities and the organizations who know us. I think every county needs a health department, but we’re just not set up that way in Pennsylvania while other states are.”

Jeanne Franklin · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-04

Franklin argued every county needs a health department, noting Pennsylvania is not set up that way unlike other states.

“We have a very long border with Lancaster county, and these types of disease don’t care about borders,”

Jeanne Franklin · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-04

Franklin said Chester county, which has the third highest number of measles cases, is preparing for an influx from neighboring Lancaster county.