CDC isn’t counting 2 measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania, escalating a partisan feud

Key Points:

• The CDC is not including two measles-associated deaths reported by Pennsylvania in its national measles death tally, citing insufficient information to confirm if measles caused or contributed to the fatalities, escalating tensions between HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
• Pennsylvania health officials maintain they thoroughly investigated the deaths and provided all required data to the CDC, but the CDC, under new director Dr. Erica Schwartz, delayed updating its weekly measles data and marked the deaths with an asterisk pending further review.
• Public health experts criticized the CDC's decision as a significant departure from standard protocol, calling it a politicization of public health and unusual for the agency to question state epidemiologists' determinations on infection-related deaths.
• The controversy highlights concerns about CDC Director Schwartz's independence amid political pressures, with experts emphasizing the importance of transparent, science-based communication in public health reporting.
• The dispute over the deaths risks undermining public trust and complicates efforts to address the ongoing measles outbreak in Pennsylvania, with experts warning that politicizing death counts can detract from effective disease control and prevention measures.