Health
US alters federal measles mortality tracking amid ongoing Pennsylvania outbreak
The Guardian reports that federal health officials shifted to tracking long-term mortality data for measles deaths during an outbreak in Pennsylvania.
The short version
- The CDC changed its method for counting measles deaths to rely on data from the National Center for Health Statistics.[The Guardian]
- The change comes as Pennsylvania faces an outbreak with 676 confirmed cases and three reported deaths linked to measles as of Friday.[The Guardian]
- A former CDC official criticized the shift, stating that the new system is designed for long-term trend analysis rather than confirming individual cases.[The Guardian]
Key facts
- The CDC transitioned from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System to National Center for Health Statistics data to track measles deaths.[The Guardian]
- Pennsylvania recorded 676 confirmed measles cases as of Friday.[The Guardian]
- State officials confirmed two measles-associated deaths this year in a newborn and a six-week-old infant.[The Guardian]
- A local coroner reported a third death involving an unvaccinated 40-year-old woman with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who died from probable measles.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- The Jefferson County coroner stated that official case numbers are likely an undercount and that unconfirmed cases remain unreported.[The Guardian]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.