CDC Excludes Two Pennsylvania “Measles-Associated Deaths” from Official Tally
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating two deaths that Pennsylvania officials reported as associated with measles and has not included them in the agency’s official tally as of Sept. 1, according to a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “The two measles-associated deaths announced by Pennsylvania have not been confirmed based on the information currently available to CDC,” the HHS spokeswoman said in an email.
State officials on Aug. 25 described the deaths of two individuals in Lancaster County as “related to measles” and “measles-associated,” per the report. The CDC’s weekly measles update posted on Aug. 30 did not include the two deaths, with the agency stating it was reviewing “additional information regarding the circumstances and causes of death.” No other measles deaths have been reported in the United States in 2026, according to officials.
CDC’s Initial Response and Revision
The CDC’s initial response to the Pennsylvania report included a statement extending condolences to the families and communities affected by the “measles-associated deaths,” according to the report. The statement also said the measles vaccine “provides the most effective protection against measles and helps prevent its spread.”
That position shifted after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accused state officials of fabricating the characterization of the deaths, according to officials. Following the secretary’s remarks, the CDC said it appreciated Kennedy’s “efforts to clarify conflicting information from Pennsylvania officials about whether the two reported deaths were caused by measles” and said it was working “to determine what actually occurred,” the report stated.
Pennsylvania’s Use of “Measles-Associated”
The Pennsylvania Department of Health lists the two deaths as measles-associated in its case data, according to a department spokesperson. “The Department consistently used the term ‘measles-associated’ in relation to these two deaths,” the spokesperson said. The term, officials explained, means laboratory or epidemiologic evidence of measles is present – in both cases, a positive measles test – but the disease may not be assessed by the medical certifier or coroner to be the immediate cause of death.
The distinction between dying with measles and dying from measles has been a point of contention in other state reporting. In 2025, New Mexico health officials identified an adult death where the patient tested positive for measles but did not confirm measles as the cause, according to reports. That investigation remained open with limited details released. [1]
Coroner’s Findings
The Lancaster County coroner reported he was only aware of a newborn in the county who died after sustaining a lacerated spleen, according to the report. The coroner stated measles did not cause that death. [2]
The coroner’s office also received a report of another child who died with measles, and the office is investigating that case, according to officials. [2] The ongoing review by the CDC centers on determining whether either of the two state-reported deaths involved measles as a contributing or immediate cause. [2]
Context and Previous Cases
The CDC counted deaths reported by authorities in New Mexico and Texas in 2025 in its official tally, according to the report. Local and state officials said those three deaths were caused by measles. [2] In Texas, two of the deaths were among children, and Kennedy has referenced an outside review that attributed those deaths to insufficient treatment. [2]
The current dispute over Pennsylvania’s reporting comes amid broader scrutiny of how deaths are classified during infectious disease outbreaks. A 2025 analysis of sudden deaths following vaccine distribution raised questions about the accuracy of official mortality records, according to authors examining excess death data. [3] Officials have not specified who ordered the exclusion of the two Pennsylvania deaths from the current tally. [2]
Conclusion
The CDC’s decision to exclude the two Pennsylvania deaths from its official count leaves a discrepancy between state and federal reporting. The agency said it is reviewing additional information regarding the circumstances and causes of the deaths, according to the report. [2]
Pennsylvania officials maintain the term “measles-associated” was applied consistently, meaning a positive test without an assessment that measles was the immediate cause of death. [2] The resolution of the investigation will determine whether the deaths are added to the national tally or remain excluded. [2]
References
- Children’s Health Defense. “New Mexico Health Officials Mum on Whether Adult Died From — or With — Measles”. The Defender.
- Zachary Stieber. “CDC Excluding ‘Measles-Associated’ Deaths From Official Count”. The Epoch Times. September 1, 2026.
- Children’s Health Defense. “‘Cause Unknown’: Ed Dowd’s Pioneering Exploration of Sudden Deaths After the Rollout of COVID Vaccines”. The Defender.
Explainer Infographic
Read full article here