RFK Jr. ordered deletion of two measles deaths from CDC public data

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. instructed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Erica Schwartz to remove two measles-related deaths from the agency’s public website, according to reports from Reuters and Inside Medicine. The deletion occurred on 30 August, despite CDC staff having already reviewed the reports and accepted the characterisation that the deaths were measles-related.

The cases involved a newborn and a child in Pennsylvania, where an ongoing measles outbreak has sickened 540 people, including 119 in the last week. The deaths were added to the public data and subsequently removed within hours on the same day.

A significant discrepancy has emerged between the public and internal records. While the public data no longer lists the deaths, an internal CDC database known as the “One CDC Data Platform” still includes them. Inside Medicine reported that a screenshot of the internal database was verified by CDC staff, though the Department of Health and Human Services has not immediately responded to queries regarding the inconsistency.

The public data now features a note stating that “available information does not establish whether measles caused or contributed to the deaths.” This replaces a previous note acknowledging that health departments make such determinations. Historically, state and local health departments determine cases and deaths in outbreaks, while the CDC collects reports for nationwide tracking.

The move follows a heated dispute between Kennedy and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Shapiro criticised Kennedy’s anti-vaccine rhetoric as fueling the outbreak, while Kennedy claimed without evidence that the state may have “fabricated” the deaths. Pennsylvania’s state health department maintains that it has provided the CDC with all required information.

In an earlier statement, HHS said the deaths “have not been confirmed based on the information currently available to CDC.” However, a spokesperson did not respond to follow-up questions about what specific information the CDC was lacking or awaiting from the state.