Pennsylvania Seeks CDC Aid in Measles Outbreak Amid Death Toll Dispute

Pennsylvania has formally asked the CDC for emergency Epi-Aid assistance to manage a measles outbreak that has grown to more than 700 cases across 37 counties and four measles-associated deaths. The move comes amid a dispute with Health Secretary RFK Jr. over whether those deaths should be counted in a national tally, with officials signaling the request could be rescinded if the CDC cannot transparently report the fatalities. Governor Shapiro and state health officials accuse RFK Jr. of politicizing the outbreak, while the CDC says federal outbreak support is separate from how fatalities are tabulated. Vaccination efforts appear to be slowing, with MMR doses dropping from about 3,500 in August to roughly 1,100 in early September.