CDC sends 'disease detective' as Pennsylvania measles cases top 1,200
The CDC is sending a "disease detective" to help Pennsylvania fight measles, the Philadelphia Inquirer and The Independent reported. The state says 1,222 people there have caught the virus this year, the Inquirer reported. Both outlets said U.S. health officials will also give the state nearly $4 million to help.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will send a "disease detective" to Pennsylvania this week to help with the state's measles outbreak, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The Independent also reported the move.
Pennsylvania asked for help through the CDC's Epi-Aid program, which typically sends experts to work with a state for one to three weeks, the Inquirer reported. Federal health officials are also giving the state nearly $4 million in one-time funding to "support measles response operations" through most of 2027, an HHS official told the Inquirer. The Independent also reported the nearly $4 million.
On Wednesday, Pennsylvania health officials said 1,222 people in nearly two-thirds of the state's counties have caught measles this year, the Inquirer reported. Lancaster County is the center of the outbreak, with 443 cases.
Pennsylvania has confirmed five measles deaths, and a sixth, reported this week by a Franklin County coroner, remains under state investigation, the Inquirer reported. The Independent put the toll at six deaths and cited 1,136 cases, a count the state had reported before Wednesday's update.
The state wants help understanding case counts and where the outbreak is heading, and estimating the "true burden" of measles in Pennsylvania, state health department spokesperson Neil Ruhland said, the Inquirer reported. About 300 health department staff are working with communities around the state, he said.
The request comes amid a fight over how measles deaths are counted, the Inquirer reported. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has questioned the state's death reports. The CDC's dashboard still showed only two measles deaths nationally this year as of Wednesday, the Inquirer reported.
"Secretary Kennedy and CDC Director Dr. Schwartz continue to recommend the MMR vaccine as the most effective way to prevent measles and protect against infection," CDC spokesman Gabriel Alvarado told The Independent.
Interest in the vaccine has surged, the Inquirer reported. Providers gave more than 56,000 vaccines in September, more than double a typical month, state officials said.
Nationwide, more than 4,000 infections have been reported this year, The Independent reported, citing the latest CDC data.
What we know: Pennsylvania has 1,222 measles cases this year, and the CDC is sending an expert and nearly $4 million.
What we don't: How many deaths federal officials will count, and when the outbreak will slow.
Where outlets agree The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Independent both report that the CDC is sending a disease detective and nearly $4 million to Pennsylvania.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.