Health Secretary Kennedy Requests Removal of Measles Deaths from CDC Data

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. requested the new director of the CDC to remove two Pennsylvania deaths from the agency's measles tally, citing doubts about the disease's role in the fatalities. This request followed the CDC's acceptance of the state's classification of the deaths as measles-related.

Erica Schwartz, the recently appointed CDC director, complied with Kennedy's directive without objection. This decision came amid a public dispute between Kennedy and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro regarding the politicization of the measles outbreak in the state, which has seen a resurgence of cases.

Data indicates that vaccine rates are declining, contributing to the rise in measles cases, with Pennsylvania reporting 540 cases this year. The CDC's recent update on measles data did not include the Pennsylvania deaths, noting that it could not confirm whether measles was a contributing factor.