CDC Withholds Two Pennsylvania Measles Deaths Pending Further Review
The CDC has excluded two deaths reported by Pennsylvania from its national measles fatality count, citing insufficient information to confirm a causal link, amid a dispute with state officials.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that two deaths reported by Pennsylvania will not be included in the agency's weekly measles mortality update because it lacks sufficient data to determine whether measles caused or contributed to the fatalities. The decision was noted in a footnote on the agency's website, stating that the cases are under review and the national count will be revised if new information emerges.
Pennsylvania health officials said they had completed investigations and provided all required epidemiological data to the CDC. "Every reported measles case is thoroughly reviewed to confirm it meets the CDC's case definition for a measles case," said Neil Ruhland, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
HHS press secretary Grace Davis Jamison said the CDC must ensure its reporting reflects confirmed information and that the agency is committed to transparency. The exclusion was made by CDC director Dr. Erica Schwartz, according to two sources familiar with the decision.
Public health experts described the move as unusual. Former CDC principal deputy director Dr. Nirav Shah said the agency typically counts deaths of individuals who test positive for an infection within a short period, regardless of a definitive cause-of-death determination, and called the CDC's action a deviation from standard protocol. Former CDC chief medical officer Dr. Deb Houry noted that similar cases have been included in national totals while investigations continued.
The dispute occurs as the HHS secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro exchange criticisms over the state's measles outbreak response. Kennedy has suggested the deaths may be fabricated, while the Lancaster County coroner is investigating an infant death linked to measles infection.
Experts warned that questioning state reports before a full review could create confusion. "The rhetoric revives the 'died from versus died with' playbook used during COVID, which can obscure rather than clarify the public health picture," said Dr. Brian Castrucci of the de Beaumont Foundation.