US CDC joins Robert F Kennedy Jr in questioning Pennsylvania measles deaths

WASHINGTON – The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention cast doubt on Pennsylvania officials’ statements about two recent measles-related deaths, intensifying a dispute between the Trump administration and the state over the disease outbreak.In a social media post, the top US public health agency said governor Josh Shapiro has rejected the CDC’s help and declined to provide more information on the deaths.It also thanked Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr for raising questions about whether the two people had actually died from measles.“CDC is working to determine what actually occurred,” the agency said in a social media post on X.“These discrepancies raise important questions, particularly because the Governor’s Office has not provided CDC with information relevant to the outbreak and has declined our offers of assistance.”The Pennsylvania Department of Health replied on social media on the evening of Aug 20, saying staff are in regular contact regarding measles cases and that it “appreciates the collaborative relationship we have with many CDC programme areas.” “It is inaccurate to suggest that Pennsylvania has not provided the CDC with information relevant to the outbreak or declined to work with the CDC,” the state health department said. On Aug 28, the Atlanta-based agency said it was delaying an update of its dashboard with national measles cases.The site typically is updated weekly. Earlier this week, Shapiro blamed Kennedy for sowing distrust in vaccines that led to a decline in measles, mumps and rubella vaccination rates.Kennedy fired back, claiming the drop preceded his time as the country’s top health official.Kennedy also raised questions about whether the two deaths were from something other than measles.Pennsylvania Health Secretary Debra Bogen rejected this on Aug 26, saying the state had investigated and confirmed the two measles-associated deaths and reported them to the CDC early on Aug 25.“The announcement appears to have been premature, and the deaths may even have been altogether fabricated by one of the Governor’s hopeful staffers,” Kennedy wrote in a post on Aug 26.The official CDC account said the agency “appreciated Secretary Kennedy’s efforts to clarify conflicting information.”Earlier this week, the agency said it was working closely with local authorities and that the MMR shot was the most effective protection against the disease.The state has recorded 424 total measles cases, including 73 hospitalisations and the two deaths – both in unvaccinated patients – in 2026 as of Aug 26.The majority of cases are concentrated in Lancaster County and many are occurring among those under 18 years old.One of the deaths was an infant, according to the local news site LancasterOnline.Paediatricians recommend children receive their first dose of the MMR vaccine after 12 months. The US is grappling with a nationwide measles outbreak.The CDC has confirmed 2,777 infections through Aug 20, which already is the highest total for any year since 1991. BLOOMBERG