US Health Officials Exclude Pennsylvania Measles Deaths From National Counts

Federal Health Officials Exclude Pennsylvania Fatalities From National Measles Totals

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explained that it will not include the two deaths reported by Pennsylvania while CDC reviews additional information regarding the circumstances and causes of death.

Debra Houry, former chief medical officer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called the omission highly unusual and noted that similar exclusions did not occur with three measles deaths reported in Texas and New Mexico the previous year.

Political Clash Erupts Over Verification and Causation

Kennedy questioned whether the deaths actually happened and suggested in a post on X that they may have been altogether fabricated by one of the governor’s hopeful staffers. Kennedy also claimed that Pennsylvania was refusing to share information with the County Health Department or CDC.

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Governor Shapiro fired back at the federal response, accusing Kennedy of spreading misinformation and going down a conspiracy rabbit hole. There’s real-life consequences to scaring people and not relying on actual doctors and actual medical professionals to provide unbiased information, Shapiro said.

Amid the dispute, state health officials confirmed that both deceased individuals were unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County. Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen stated: As a pediatrician with more than 30 years of caring for children, I have thoroughly reviewed the case investigation information and sadly can confirm that there were two recent measles-associated deaths in Lancaster County.

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Complicating the tally, the Lancaster County Coroner, Dr. Stephen Diamantoni, said his office is investigating one specific case involving a newborn baby boy who died on August 14 at an age too young to receive a recommended measles vaccination. While lung tissue tests found evidence of a measles infection, investigators did not observe a swollen spleen or other typical ravages of the virus, attributing the direct cause of death to a spleen tear. He did not die as a result of measles, Diamantoni said.

Outbreak Expands as Vaccination Rates Fall

The controversy unfolds against the backdrop of a major national surge. The United States declared the domestic spread of measles eliminated in 2000 due to widespread vaccination, but coverage has recently fallen below the 95% herd immunity threshold needed to prevent outbreaks. International health officials are scheduled to meet in November to determine if the U.S. and Mexico have lost their measles-free status.

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Pennsylvania reported 497 total measles cases across the commonwealth, with Lancaster County bearing the heaviest burden with nearly 200 infections. State health data shows that 92.7% of Pennsylvania kindergarteners received the MMR vaccine prior to the 2025–26 school year, down from 95.5% a decade prior.

Medical experts emphasize that the MMR vaccine remains the safest and most effective protection against the highly contagious virus, which can pose severe risks to infants, pregnant individuals, and immunocompromised populations.