US Measles Resurgence: Wisconsin Reports Infant Death as CDC Changes How Deaths Are Counted
Wisconsin has reported the death of a baby from measles, according to Ars Technica. Meanwhile the US is likely to lose its measles elimination status, and disputes over counting deaths have become political.
The US state of Wisconsin has reported the death of a baby from measles. According to the Ars Technica headline, it is the state's first measles death in more than 35 years. The article text available here gives no further details about the child's death. The news comes as measles outbreaks grow across the US and the country may lose its official elimination status.
Elimination status at risk
The US declared measles eliminated in 2000, after a year without continuous domestic transmission, thanks to high vaccination rates. Before vaccination, measles sickened 3 to 4 million people a year, sent nearly 50,000 to hospital, caused about 1,000 cases of brain swelling and killed 400 to 500 people.
Vaccination rates are now slipping nationwide, and anti-vaccine misinformation is spreading. As a result, the elimination status is likely to be withdrawn. From November 10 to 13, a committee of infectious disease experts convened by the Pan American Health Organization, the World Health Organization's regional office, will review data from 2025 and early 2026. It will assess whether measles has re-established itself in the US.
Dispute over counting deaths
Under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who opposes vaccination, the handling of the outbreaks has become political, including how measles-associated deaths are defined and confirmed. After the first deaths were reported in Pennsylvania, Kennedy falsely suggested state officials had "fabricated" them and reportedly ordered the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to delete them from national data. The CDC then changed its method. It no longer reports deaths confirmed by states and relies on federal death records instead. Those take much longer to process and are not designed to provide real-time data during outbreaks.
The seventh, unconfirmed Pennsylvania death was announced on October 12 by the Franklin County Coroner's office. The person was a 39-year-old woman. Under the state's criteria, a death is measles-associated if the person dies within 30 days of a positive test and shows clinical signs of infection, with no other significant cause. The state health department says it has found no Franklin County cases meeting the criteria, but its investigation is not closed. The Philadelphia Inquirer has taken legal action to obtain more information.
