---
title: "CDC declines to count two Pennsylvania fatalities as measles-associated in national tally"
id: "bmj-0-measles-cdc-refuses-to-record-pennsylvania-fatalities-in-x201c-measles"
canonical_url: "https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/bmj-0-measles-cdc-refuses-to-record-pennsylvania-fatalities-in-x201c-measles"
content_type: "clinical_feed_article"
specialty: "Infectious Disease"
source_name: "BMJ"
source_url: "http://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100744.short?rss=1"
published_at: "2026-09-02T15:46:19.000Z"
evidence_level: "Journal Feed"
license: "CC-BY-NC-4.0 / Informational Use"
---
# CDC declines to count two Pennsylvania fatalities as measles-associated in national tally
## Provenance & Clinical Metadata
- **Canonical URL:** https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/bmj-0-measles-cdc-refuses-to-record-pennsylvania-fatalities-in-x201c-measles
- **Specialty:** [Infectious Disease](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/infectious-disease.md)
- **Primary Source:** BMJ
- **Source URL:** [Original Journal Publication](http://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100744.short?rss=1)
- **Published At:** 2026-09-02T15:46:19.000Z
- **Evidence Rating:** Journal Feed
## Executive GIST (TL;DR)
- The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported two deaths it described as **measles-associated**, saying they were the state's first such fatalities in 35 years and the first reported in the US in 2026. - The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (**CDC**) removed the two deaths from its national measles death tally while it reviews additional information about the circumstances and causes of death. - The CDC statement explained that available information did not establish whether measles "caused or contributed to the deaths" or whether the individuals died from other causes while infected with measles. - The discord highlights a surveillance and classification question: whether individuals who die after acquiring measles should be recorded as having died "with measles" or "of measles." - The BMJ report quotes official statements and notes the resulting rift between state and national public health authorities but does not provide clinical details about the patients, their comorbidities, or the investigative evidence under review. - The article indicates the CDC updated its website to exclude the two fatalities pending review; details of the review process, timeline, and final determination were not reported in the source.
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[News & Views](https://www.bmj.com/us/news) 2. Measles: CDC refuses... 3. Measles: CDC refuses to record Pennsylvania fatalities in “measles associated deaths” row News # Measles: CDC refuses to record Pennsylvania fatalities in “measles associated deaths” row BMJ 2026; 394 doi: (Published 02 September 2026) Cite this as: BMJ 2026;394:e100744 * [Article](https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100744 "Article Tab - Article")[](https://www.bmj.com/panels_ajax_tab/jnl_bmj_tab_art/node:1127102/1 "Article Tab - Article") * [Related content](https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100744/related "Article Tab - Related Articles")[](https://www.bmj.com/panels_ajax_tab/jnl_bmj_tab_related_art/node:1127102/1 "Article Tab - Related Articles") * [Metrics](https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100744/article-info "Article Tab - Info & Metrics")[](https://www.bmj.com/panels_ajax_tab/jnl_bmj_tab_info/node:1127102/1 "Article Tab - Info & Metrics") * [Responses](https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100744/rapid-responses "BMJ Article Related Rapid Responses")[](https://www.bmj.com/panels_ajax_tab/bmj_related_rapid_responses/node:1127102/1 "BMJ Article Related Rapid Responses") * [Peer review](https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100744/peer-review "Article Tab - Peer review")[](https://www.bmj.com/panels_ajax_tab/jnl_bmj_tab_peer_review/node:1127102/1 "Article Tab - Peer review") * [](https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100744/submit-a-rapid-response "BMJ Rapid Responses Form")[](https://www.bmj.com/panels_ajax_tab/bmj_rapid_responses_form/node:1127102/1 "BMJ Rapid Responses Form") ![Loading](https://www.bmj.com/sites/all/modules/contrib/panels_ajax_tab/images/loading.gif) 1. Luke Taylor [Author affiliations](https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100744.short?rss=1) 1. Rio de Janeiro The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has refused to include two measles associated deaths reported by the state of Pennsylvania1 in its national tally of measles deaths, sparking a rift between state and national health authorities. Pennsylvania’s Department of Health reported2 last week that the state had recorded its first measles associated deaths in 35 years—the first in the US in 2026. But the CDC has challenged that claim, updating its website to exclude the two fatalities from the national total.3 “This week’s measles outbreaks update will not include the two measles-associated deaths reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health on August 25 while CDC reviews additional information regarding the circumstances and causes of death,” a statement added to the website reads. “At this time, 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.” ## Died “with measles” or “of measles”? The decision to contradict … [View Full Text](https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100744.full) ## Log in ### Log in using your username and password [BMA Member Log In](https://bmjverification.bma.org.uk/validate/userdetails?url=https%3A//www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100744%3Frss%3D1%26variant%3Dshort%26sso%3D "Log in here if you are a BMA member.") 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