The Official "Damned Trump" Thread: Phase II

[Angrboda]

US health officials exclude measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania from counts

The CDC has also stopped short of reporting deaths from measles in 2026.

The agency posted a note on Friday saying it was delaying its weekly update, keeping the number at zero. On Sunday, the measles landing page appears to have been updated twice, with the two deaths first reported and then replaced with an asterisk.

The CDC will not include the two deaths reported by Pennsylvania “while CDC reviews additional information regarding the circumstances and causes of death”, an explanatory note reads. The agency added that “available information does not establish whether measles caused or contributed to the deaths or whether the individuals died from other causes while infected with measles”.

This is not how deaths reported by states to the CDC are typically handled. The deaths in Texas and New Mexico last year, for instance, were reported by the two states and included in the CDC’s national tally.

Usually, “states notify CDC of reportable cases on things such as measles. CDC does not review or adjudicate these cases unless a state asked for additional assistance”, Houry said.

The unusual approach will probably affect the agency’s relationship with the states that report to it. “CDC and states usually work collaboratively together,” Houry said. “This will undermine that relationship.”

The CDC has not clarified what information it is seeking about these cases and why this data was not acceptable. The agency is “working to determine what actually occurred”, according to a post on X sent by an HHS spokesperson in response to the Guardian’s inquiries.

“The communication coming from CDC’s official channel on Friday was political and not focused on what should be done during an outbreak,” Houry said.