August 31, 2026
Ken Ruinard/USA Today via Reuters Connect
Pennsylvania health officials confirmed two measles-associated deaths, the state's first in 35 years, last week. But the CDC has not included them in its latest measles count.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has pointedly omitted two measles-associated deaths in Lancaster County from national reporting.
As of Monday, the CDC's data shows zero deaths from measles in 2026. This contradicts the Pennsylvania Department of Health's confirmation last week that two unvaccinated people with the disease had died, marking the first measles deaths in the state in 35 years. In a note posted to the CDC measles outbreak tracker, federal health officials said they are still reviewing the cases and claimed "available information does not establish whether measles caused or contributed to the deaths or whether the individuals died from other causes while infected with measles."
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The message reflects an ongoing dispute between the Pennsylvania and national government, which spilled onto social media last Tuesday. At a press conference about the Lancaster County measles deaths, Gov. Josh Shapiro said he'd just fielded a phone call from Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., whom he criticized for pushing misinformation that's led to "real-life consequences." Kennedy responded with a lengthy post on X, promoting a debunked claim that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine contains fetal tissue.
As the spat continued Wednesday, Shapiro again linked Kennedy's rhetoric to measles outbreaks while the HHS secretary suggested the governor's office may have "fabricated" the deaths. Lancaster County Coroner Stephen Diamantoni later told reporters that he did not have any record of measles deaths, sparking further outcry. The coroner said his office had examined a newborn infant that tested positive for measles, but insisted the cause of death was a ruptured spleen.
The state health department later clarified that it is not required to report all deaths to the coroner and uses the term "measles-associated" in cases "when laboratory or epidemiologic evidence of measles is present, but the disease may not be assessed by the medical certifier or coroner to be the immediate cause of death." The coroner's office is still investigating the circumstances surrounding the newborn's death. Diamantoni said he was unaware of the second person that state officials have referenced.
Pennsylvania has recorded 460 measles cases this year to date. Nearly half of them — 210 — are linked to Lancaster County.
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