CDC Excludes PA Measles Deaths From Tally

Pennsylvania officials reported two deaths associated with measles in Lancaster County on August 25, marking the state's first such fatalities in over 30 years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has excluded these two cases from its national tally, citing a need for additional information to determine if measles caused or contributed to the deaths. The CDC's decision to exclude the cases follows public statements by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who questioned the state's classification of the deaths. Pennsylvania health officials maintain that the term "measles-associated" means laboratory or epidemiologic evidence of measles was present, even if the disease was not the immediate cause of death. One of the reported deaths involved a newborn who tested positive for measles. The Lancaster County coroner, Stephen Diamantoni, stated that his office is investigating the infant's death, which occurred shortly after birth due to a ruptured spleen.