Sept 29 (Reuters) – The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday confirmed that there have been two measles-related deaths in the country this year, up from one reported last week.
The confirmation, on the agency’s website, comes as measles cases continue to rise across the United States, with 3,659 infections as of September 24.
The CDC, however, did not specify in which states the deaths occurred.
Pennsylvania, the hardest hit by the outbreak, reported four measles-related deaths this year, but the CDC had not included them in its national tally.
The CDC shifted to using mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) for its national measles death count, moving away from reliance on state health departments — a change that has drawn scrutiny.
The fatalities also became the focus of a dispute between Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has said only one of the deaths resulted from measles.
The CDC included week’s fatality only after the NCHS verified that measles was the underlying cause.
The federal agency has said is working with state epidemiologists on a standard definition for measles-related deaths to ensure consistent reporting across jurisdictions, adding that the number of deaths is subject to change as additional information becomes available and reviews are completed.
The US Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment for details on the additional death.
(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Diti Pujara)
