Pennsylvania seeks CDC help amid dispute over US measles deaths

Pennsylvania has sought rapid federal support to tackle a growing measles outbreak, requesting an Epi-Aid from the CDC while insisting that the agency publicly recognise four measles-associated deaths the state has reported. In a letter to CDC Director Erica Schwartz, Pennsylvania Health Secretary Debra Bogen said the CDC’s failure to acknowledge the deaths would lead the state to rescind its request for federal assistance. The US Department of Health and Human Services, however, told Al Jazeera that the CDC had not received Pennsylvania’s request through its routine channels and that federal outbreak assistance operates separately from national mortality reporting. A spokesperson for HHS said the CDC will not allow the process to be politicised and rejected linking the provision of outbreak help to how deaths are classified. The controversy stems from differences over terminology and classification. Pennsylvania labels the fatalities as “measles-associated” under its state surveillance definition, while HHS said it is working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists on a standardised definition for measles deaths. The CDC earlier included two deaths reported in Lancaster County in its national tally, then removed them after questions were raised about whether measles caused or contributed to the fatalities. Public-health experts quoted in reports cautioned that using different classifications could cause confusion and erode trust. They noted that the “measles-associated” designation has been commonly used by the World Health Organization and CDC because measles can severely weaken the immune system and lead to secondary infections that result in death. Separately, an Epi-Aid would provide short-term epidemiological and laboratory assistance—typically lasting one to three weeks—while the requesting state retains leadership of the investigation.