The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a second measles death in the US on Tuesday, as the country deals with an outbreak affecting 47 states.
As of 24 September, the CDC has confirmed 3,659 measles cases, with two deaths confirmed on Tuesday. The confirmation did not specify which states the deaths occurred in.
Pennsylvania is the hardest-hit state, reporting more than 900 cases and four deaths from measles, but the CDC is not including those deaths in its national data.
Dispute over data
The differences between federal measles death figures and those from Pennsylvania's department of health are part of an ongoing dispute between Pennsylvania's governor, Josh Shapiro, and the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr.
The CDC, which used to collect data from states, has shifted to using mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) for its national measles death count.
Pennsylvania also reported 114 new cases of measles in the last seven days, with a third being children under 18. The state has reported 176 hospitalizations, and less than 1% of the total measles cases involve people fully vaccinated against the disease.
State response
Pennsylvania's health department said: “While daily numbers fluctuate, tracking these trends provides Pennsylvanians and health care providers with visibility into community transmission across the [state] and helps inform the department’s ongoing response.”
The US has recorded more measles cases this year than any other since 1991. The disease was declared eliminated by the US government in 2000.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that can cause serious health complications. Although rare, deaths from measles occur in approximately one to three patients per 1,000 cases.
The announcement comes as the CDC has faced a dramatic reduction in its workforce, with the Trump administration laying off 18% of its staff in 2025.
According to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal employee union representing 82,000 workers, there are 3,810 fewer civil service employees within the CDC in the past year, a total reduction of a third.
Symptoms and prevention
Measles symptoms usually begin seven to 14 days after infection, according to the CDC. Symptoms can include high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, followed by a rash that spreads down the body.
The CDC advises that two doses of the MMR vaccine “provide the best protection against measles”.
