Another child dies of measles as CDC reportedly holds up health alert

Key Points:

• A child in New York has died from measles, marking the state's first measles-related death in over 30 years and the seventh in the US this year, with six others in Pennsylvania amid a severe outbreak.
• The resurgence of measles and related deaths is linked to declining vaccination rates fueled by health misinformation and anti-vaccine activism, notably from US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has actively opposed vaccines since taking office.
• New York Governor Kathy Hochul attributed the child's death to the erosion of vaccine progress under Kennedy’s policies and expressed deep condolences, while New York has reported 170 measles cases across multiple counties.
• CDC scientists were reportedly blocked from issuing an urgent health alert about measles risks during pregnancy under Kennedy’s leadership, delaying critical information dissemination to clinicians amid the outbreak.
• The CDC’s reporting of measles deaths has been inconsistent, with changes in death count methodology and delays in data, while the US has recorded over 4,850 cases and 511 hospitalizations this year, the highest since 1991.