CDC Excludes Pennsylvania Measles Deaths from National Tally
2 sources · United States
Who reported this
- CNN
- Ars Technica
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is excluding two measles associated deaths reported by Pennsylvania health officials from its national surveillance data. CDC Director Erica Schwartz reportedly ordered the decision, stating that available information does not establish whether measles caused or contributed to the deaths. This move follows reports that the CDC website was updated multiple times over a weekend in August, shifting the 2026 death count from zero to two and then back to an asterisk with a footnote explaining the exclusion.
Pennsylvania health officials stated they thoroughly investigated the deaths and provided all required epidemiological data to the CDC. Former CDC officials, including Dr. Nirav Shah and Dr. Deb Houry, described the decision as highly unusual and a deviation from protocol, noting that states are typically the arbiters of case and death determinations. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended the move as a commitment to transparency and truth, while one report indicates he accused Governor Josh Shapiro's staff of fabricating data.
Outlets with a center lean focused on the procedural break from precedent and the timeline of website changes. Outlets with a center left lean framed the event as a politicization of public health and an escalation of a feud between the Trump administration and Democratic state leadership.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- Framed the incident as a political conflict between the federal administration and state officials.
- Centre
- Focused on the breach of protocol and the specific timeline of the CDC's data updates.
Sources
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