The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declined to include two Pennsylvania measles-related deaths in its official weekly tally, prompting a demand for answers from House Democrats. The decision, confirmed by CDC Director Erica Schwartz, has intensified scrutiny over the agency’s measles response and its relationship with state health departments.
House Democrats demand CDC briefing by Sept. 28
House Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter to Schwartz on Tuesday, requesting a staff briefing by September 28 regarding the CDC’s refusal to accept Pennsylvania’s reported deaths. The letter, signed by Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), and Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), questioned the rationale behind the exclusion and broader concerns about the agency’s measles surveillance.
The letter stated: “Your decision to interfere with the inclusion of the first two measles-related deaths on CDC’s publicly facing database is consistent with the many other ways that the Trump Administration has degraded tools to prevent disease spread, damaged the partnership between the states and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and suppressed information about threats and harm to the public.”
Pennsylvania reports four measles deaths amid outbreak
The Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed on Tuesday that two additional measles-related deaths had occurred in the state, bringing the total to four fatalities—the first in 35 years. The CDC’s latest weekly report, issued Friday, listed 3,294 measles cases nationwide this year but no deaths, citing a lack of recorded fatalities by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
The Pennsylvania health department noted that its confirmed deaths were not reflected in the CDC’s official tally, despite the state’s assertion that measles was the underlying cause. The outbreak has affected 38 of 67 counties in Pennsylvania, with 693 cases reported in 2026 alone, according to Gov. Josh Shapiro (D).
CDC cites administrative process; Governor blames HHS interference
The CDC attributed the exclusion to an administrative process, stating that the NCHS had not recorded any deaths where measles was the primary cause this year. However, Shapiro directly accused Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of intervening to block the inclusion of Pennsylvania’s deaths, calling it an attempt to suppress public health data.
Shapiro wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “It is deeply concerning to learn that the Secretary personally intervened in an otherwise administrative process to direct the CDC to not report these Pennsylvania deaths, presumably because it doesn’t fit his phony narrative.” He added that the outbreak in Pennsylvania represents the worst in the country and linked its severity to lower vaccination rates.
Measles cases surge nationwide
As of the CDC’s latest report, the U.S. has recorded 3,294 measles cases in 2026, with 160 new cases reported in the past week. The agency noted that measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, but outbreaks have surged in recent years due to declining vaccination rates. Since 2025, measles-linked deaths have exceeded those recorded in the previous 20 years combined, with five confirmed fatalities—three in 2025 and two in 2026.
The CDC’s decision to exclude Pennsylvania’s deaths has raised questions about the agency’s transparency and coordination with state health departments, while political figures on both sides of the aisle continue to debate the implications of the outbreak.