Kennedy directs CDC to adjust measles death counts as cases hit 4,588

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 178 new measles cases in the United States this week, bringing the 2026 national total to 4,588. This figure exceeds the entire 2025 tally by more than double. The agency confirmed that the illness is active in at least 43 distinct outbreaks across the country.

Pennsylvania accounts for the largest share of infections, with state health officials logging 1,338 cases as of Friday. South Carolina and Utah follow, each reporting more than 500 cases. Despite these high numbers, public health experts note that official counts likely underrepresent the true spread of the disease. Measles symptoms, such as fever, cough, and rash, often do not prompt immediate medical visits, leading to unreported cases.

A discrepancy has emerged regarding fatalities. Pennsylvania state authorities have confirmed five measles-associated deaths and are investigating a sixth. In contrast, the CDC lists only three national deaths. The agency has not disclosed the location of the third death, creating uncertainty about whether it overlaps with state data. Reuters reported that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked senior CDC officials in September to remove one death from the official tally after questioning the disease's contribution to that patient's passing.

HHS also announced modifications to the vaccine adverse event reporting system, or VAERS. The proposal would allow physicians to bill for reporting suspected vaccine injuries. VAERS has long served as a tool for researchers to track rare safety issues, though anti-vaccine activists frequently cite the database to support claims about vaccine safety. All vaccines carry risks, a fact acknowledged by vaccinologists, but the method for assessing those risks has changed under new leadership.

Before Kennedy took office, an expert panel evaluated each vaccine to determine if benefits outweighed risks. Kennedy dismissed all 17 sitting members of that board and replaced them with ideologically aligned candidates. A court blocked the appointment of those new members in March. Since assuming the role of health secretary, Kennedy has made several public statements about vaccines, including claims that children receive more than 90 doses and that the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine contains aborted fetal debris. Leading physicians have described his suggestion that vitamin A and cod liver oil may help treat childhood measles as misleading.

The measles vaccine remains 97% effective at preventing the disease. Side effects are generally mild, including injection-site soreness and low-grade fever. Without vaccination, one in five infected individuals is hospitalized, and one to three out of every 1,000 die from complications.