4,588 Measles Cases Logged as Pennsylvania Reports 1,338
Federal health authorities added 178 cases this week while state and federal death counts diverge.
By Yuna Fletcher ·
The CDC reported 4,588 measles cases in the United States as of Friday, with 178 added this week. That total stands at more than double the figure recorded during 2025. The agency counts cases across 43 active outbreaks nationwide.
Pennsylvania reported 1,338 cases on Friday, the highest state total in the nation. The CDC also recorded large outbreaks in South Carolina and Utah, each with more than 500 cases. Officials note that these tallies undercount the disease, since rash, runny nose, fever and cough do not always send infected people to a doctor.
Death counts from state and federal authorities do not match. Pennsylvania has reported five measles-associated deaths and is investigating a sixth. The CDC has reported three deaths nationally. The agency has not said where the third death occurred, leaving open whether it falls within the Pennsylvania outbreak.
According to Reuters, Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr asked senior CDC officials in September to remove a measles death from the official tally after he questioned whether the disease contributed to it. The CDC reports that one in five unvaccinated people infected with measles is hospitalized, and that one to three people in 1,000 die of complications. The measles vaccine is 97% effective at preventing infection.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced changes this week to vaccine injury reporting systems. A proposal would let doctors bill for reporting suspected vaccine injuries. The system, known as VAERS, is used by researchers to track rare safety issues and has also been cited by activists making claims about vaccine safety.
Kennedy has previously removed all 17 sitting members of the expert panel that weighs whether vaccine benefits outweigh risks, replacing them with members he selected. A court blocked those appointments in March. He also directed the CDC to remove statements from its website saying vaccines do not cause autism.
The CDC's next scheduled data update falls on Friday.
Source: The Guardian
