Why the CDC is excluding measles deaths in Pennsylvania even as outbreak appears to be ‘accelerating’

The CDC has excluded four measles deaths from its official count in Pennsylvania amid an escalating outbreak, despite reports of doctors encountering unusual strains of the disease. Lawmakers have demanded answers after the agency altered its reporting standards, as cases surge across the U.S. to levels unseen in years. A potential measles exposure was also confirmed in a neonatal ICU, raising concerns about vulnerable populations. The shift in reporting has sparked debate over transparency as the health crisis deepens.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention refuses to count four measles deaths in the state though doctors are ‘seeing new forms’ of diseaseThe US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its measles dashboard on Friday – but it’s still not counting four measles deaths in Pennsylvania, where the outbreak appears to be accelerating and cases are appearing in ways providers have never seen before.Members of Congress on Monday requested an “immediate briefing” on the decision to change how measles deaths are reported as cases continue to rise throughout the United States, reaching levels not seen in decades. A possible measles exposure was reported in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia last week. Continue reading...