Pennsylvania coroner confirms second child measles death amid dispute over CDC reporting

Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni said a second child who died with measles has been reported and is under investigation, adding that the state is reviewing each case to meet CDC definitions. The confirmation comes as the United States records its first measles deaths this year, amid a nationwide rise in infections.

The report follows a request from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the newly appointed CDC director, Erica Schwartz, to remove a reference to two Pennsylvania fatalities from the agency's online measles tracker. CDC staff had initially accepted the state's classification of the deaths as measles-related before the edit was ordered, according to sources.

A Health and Human Services spokesperson said the agency has asked for additional details needed to determine the cause of death but did not comment on the actions of Kennedy or Schwartz. The Pennsylvania Health Department reiterated that every reported measles case is thoroughly reviewed to confirm it meets CDC case definitions.

Diamantoni previously disputed the cause of one death, attributing it to a ruptured spleen in a newborn infected with measles rather than the virus itself. The CDC continues to list zero measles deaths nationwide for the year, stating that the deaths have not yet been confirmed based on available information.