CDC Continues to Count Measles Deaths Despite Deletion from Public Data

<p>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reportedly still counting two measles deaths that were removed from the agency's public data at the request of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. According to reports released on September 3, 2026, Kennedy instructed CDC director Erica Schwartz to delete the two deaths from the agency's website.</p><p>Reuters reported that CDC staff had reviewed information about the deaths and accepted that they were related to measles. However, Schwartz deleted the deaths without objection, according to insiders. The two deaths were added and removed from the CDC's website within hours on August 30, 2026.</p><p>The deceased were a newborn and a child, and health officials in Pennsylvania reported their deaths last week. The state is currently experiencing a measles outbreak that has sickened 540 individuals, including 119 in the last week.</p>