CDC reports six measles deaths as US faces worst outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported six measles-related deaths in the United States this year amid the nation's largest outbreak since 1991.
Official death toll rises sharply
The CDC published figures on Thursday showing six fatalities linked to the virus. This number doubles the deaths recorded in 2025 and marks a severe resurgence of a disease eliminated in 2000. More than 5,400 cases have been reported nationwide according to Johns Hopkins University data. Pennsylvania officials confirmed six measles-associated deaths within that state this year alone.
Data tracking method changes
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr previously argued without evidence that two Pennsylvania deaths were not caused by measles. He asked CDC director Erica Schwartz to exclude those cases from the official tally. The agency changed its data source on September 4 to use the National Center for Health Statistics. This shift occurred after Reuters reported on the dispute over counting specific fatalities.
Outbreak spreads across states
A child died in New York on election day followed by an infant death in Wisconsin days later. The state of New York has documented its initial death linked to measles in over thirty years. Nearly all US states are reporting active outbreaks right now. Measles is preventable through the MMR vaccine which offers approximately 97 percent protection after two doses.
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