CDC removes Pennsylvania measles deaths from online tally after request from Health Secretary Kennedy

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked the newly appointed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Erica Schwartz, to remove a reference to two deaths reported in Pennsylvania from the agency’s online measles tally. The request followed Kennedy’s questioning of whether measles contributed to the fatalities, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

CDC staff had previously accepted the state’s classification of the deaths as measles-related. Schwartz reportedly complied with Kennedy’s directive without objection. The dispute arose after a social-media exchange between Kennedy, a long-time vaccine-skeptic, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, in which each accused the other of politicizing the outbreak.

Pennsylvania’s health department reported 540 measles cases this year and notified the CDC of two deaths on Aug. 25, noting that the individuals were unvaccinated. The state said it provided all required epidemiological data, but could not share personally identifiable records due to legal restrictions.

"The secretary had no business interfering in the normal process," said Georges Benjamin, chief executive of the American Public Health Association.

"He has an anti-vaccine agenda and he's using this to play out his anti-vaccine agenda," Benjamin added.

The Department of Health and Human Services said the CDC requested additional details to determine whether measles caused or contributed to the deaths, citing conflicting reports from county and state officials. The CDC delayed its weekly update and, when it posted the revised data, added an asterisk noting that available information does not establish a causal link between measles and the Pennsylvania deaths.

Governor Shapiro thanked Kennedy for offering federal assistance but warned that Kennedy’s past statements have spread misinformation about vaccine safety. Kennedy responded on social media, suggesting the deaths might have been fabricated by the governor’s staff. The CDC has not indicated how it will resolve the discrepancy, as it is not currently collaborating with the state on the investigation.