CDC Investigates Link Between Pennsylvania Deaths and Measles
CDC Investigates Link Between Pennsylvania Deaths and Measles
Updated at: September 2, 2026 at 12:15 AM
In August 2026, Pennsylvania reported its first measles-associated deaths in over three decades, sparking a major national controversy.
The cases involved unvaccinated residents in Lancaster County during a period of rising measles activity.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) took the rare step of excluding these deaths from its national tally.
This decision led to a heated political dispute between HHS Secretary Robert F.
Kennedy Jr., who questioned the reports, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who accused the secretary of spreading vaccine misinformation.
Central to the debate is the case of an infant who died of a ruptured spleen.
With over 2,900 measles cases confirmed in the U.S. this year, the CDC’s decision to override state reporting has raised serious concerns about the potential politicization of public health data.
