CDC Excludes PA Measles Deaths from National Data

4:43 PM ETDeveloping

Health Desk

Measles cases and deaths in the United States, OWID — Photo: Our World In Data / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is excluding two measles deaths reported by Pennsylvania health officials last week from its latest update of national measles data. Robert F. Kennedy then shared measles misinformation on social media amid news of the deaths, then suggested without evidence that the state may have “fabricated” the deaths and that the governor announced them with “giddy delight.

The newborn’s mother was severely ill from measles at the time of birth, according to reporting from The Atlantic , which spoke with the baby’s parents amid the uproar. Erica Schwartz—less than a month into the job—reportedly ordered CDC staff to add an unusual statement onto the CDC’s website for measles surveillance data.

The baby was born infected with the virus, according to testing, and had evidence of a measles infection in lung tissue. The New York Times reported Monday that the CDC’s new director, Erica Schwartz, is behind the decision.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is excluding two measles deaths reported by Pennsylvania health officials last week from its latest update of national measles data.
The New York Times reported Monday that the CDC’s new director, Erica Schwartz, is behind the decision .
Erica Schwartz—less than a month into the job—reportedly ordered CDC staff to add an unusual statement onto the CDC’s website for measles surveillance data .
Robert F. Kennedy then shared measles misinformation on social media amid news of the deaths, then suggested without evidence that the state may have “fabricated” the deaths and that the governor announced them with…
The baby was born infected with the virus, according to testing, and had evidence of a measles infection in lung tissue.
The newborn’s mother was severely ill from measles at the time of birth, according to reporting from The Atlantic , which spoke with the baby’s parents amid the uproar.

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