A second measles death in the US has been announced on Tuesday by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as the country grapples with an outbreak affecting 47 states. As of 24 September, a total of 3,659 measles cases have been confirmed by the CDC, with the two deaths having been confirmed on Tuesday. The confirmation did not specify in which states the deaths had occurred.
Although Pennsylvania is the hardest-hit state, having reported more than 900 cases and four deaths from measles, the CDC is not including the deaths there in its national data. Differences in the federal measles death figures compared with those from Pennsylvania’s department of health is 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 now 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 of these being children aged under 18. The state has also reported 176 hospitalizations, and less than 1% of the total number of measles cases involve people who have been fully vaccinated against the disease. 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 now recorded more measles cases this year than any other since 1991.
The disease was declared to be eliminated by the US government in 2000. Measles is a highly contagious virus that can cause serious health complications. And although rare, deaths from measles occur in approximately one to three patients per 1,000 cases The announcement also comes as the CDC has faced a dramatic reduction in its work force, 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. Measles symptoms usually begin seven to 14 days after infection, according to the CDC. These 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”.
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