CDC reports two measles deaths in US as cases hit 35-year high

What the report says

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says two measles deaths have been confirmed from this year’s outbreak, alongside 3,659 cases nationwide, which it described as the highest US total in 35 years. Al Jazeera reports that the agency did not identify where the deaths occurred, and that Pennsylvania has been the hardest-hit state, with more than 900 cases reported there.

The article says measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, but has reappeared in recent years amid growing vaccine scepticism. It also notes criticism of President Donald Trump’s administration, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr., over past statements that public health experts say have promoted false links between vaccines and autism. Those comments are presented in the report as part of the broader context around the outbreak.

Al Jazeera adds that Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has clashed with Kennedy over how measles deaths are counted. The CDC has also been dealing with staffing and budget pressures after federal layoffs and resignations, and recently changed how it tracks measles deaths by relying more on national mortality data. The agency says it is still working with state officials to standardize death definitions, so the toll could change as reviews are completed.