Pennsylvania asks CDC for emergency help as measles outbreak spreads

Key Points:

• Pennsylvania is requesting emergency assistance (Epi-Aid) from the CDC amid a major measles outbreak, but may withdraw the request unless the CDC publicly acknowledges four measles-associated deaths reported by the state.
• The state's health secretary, Debra Bogen, criticized the CDC for not transparently communicating about the deaths, stating this undermines the outbreak response.
• A dispute exists between Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with Kennedy questioning whether the deaths were caused by measles and instructing the CDC not to include Pennsylvania’s fatalities in national death counts.
• Pennsylvania has confirmed 731 measles cases across 38 counties this year, with four measles-related deaths, marking one of the largest and deadliest outbreaks in the US amid a nationwide resurgence linked to vaccine hesitancy.
• The CDC recently changed its method for counting measles deaths, now using data from the National Center for Health Statistics, a shift that has raised questions about transparency and the accuracy of mortality tracking.