Pennsylvania's health department has requested emergency assistance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to combat one of the nation's largest and most severe measles outbreaks. The state has linked the request to the federal agency's acknowledgment of four measles-associated deaths, creating a point of contention with the current administration.
The dispute centers on U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s stance on the reported fatalities. Kennedy has questioned whether the deaths in U.S. measles outbreaks since he took office were directly caused by the virus and has instructed the CDC not to include Pennsylvania's reported deaths in national statistics. Disease experts suggest this interference by a health secretary is unusual and could potentially downplay the severity of measles to the public.
In a letter reviewed by Reuters, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Debra Bogen informed CDC Director Erica Schwartz that the state was initiating the process for an Epi-Aid, a form of emergency assistance from the CDC. Bogen stated that the CDC's refusal to publicly recognize the deaths hinders the state's response. She further noted that if the CDC cannot transparently and accurately report on these fatalities, Pennsylvania will withdraw its request for an Epi-Aid.
This development follows an earlier period where the state health department had indicated it had the outbreak under control and did not require federal assistance. A spokesperson for the Health and Human Services (HHS) department, Grace Davis Jamison, stated that the CDC had not received Pennsylvania's request through standard channels. Jamison also asserted that federal outbreak assistance is distinct from how the CDC tabulates fatality data, adding that the CDC would not be subjected to "political blackmail" and would not permit Governor Josh Shapiro to "politicize this process."
The measles outbreak in Pennsylvania has significantly grown, with over 700 confirmed cases reported across 37 counties and four associated deaths, according to the state health department. This outbreak is part of a broader resurgence of measles in the U.S., attributed to increasing vaccine hesitancy.
Governor Shapiro has publicly criticized Kennedy, an anti-vaccine advocate, for promoting fears about vaccines without scientific backing. Kennedy and Schwartz, in turn, have blamed Shapiro for refusing CDC offers of Epi-Aid. Epi-Aid involves sending CDC experts to an outbreak site for a short duration to bolster state and local health departments.
When the first two measles-associated fatalities were announced on August 25, the state had recorded 393 cases in 28 counties. At that time, Shapiro commended his health department's vaccination efforts, and the state health department did not seek CDC personnel assistance. The state health department does have CDC career staff assigned to it, who have been involved in the response.
The spread of the disease has since accelerated. One of the recently announced fatalities occurred in Mifflin County, which has become a significant hotspot for cases. Concurrently, data from the health department suggests a slowdown in measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine administration in the state. While over 3,500 doses were administered in August, the first half of September saw only around 1,100 doses given.