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A Pennsylvania coroner confirmed that two infants died during the state's ongoing measles outbreak, with measles directly causing one death. Despite the coroner's findings, the CDC has yet to officially count either death on its public tracking page, raising concerns about data transparency amid political tensions between state and federal health officials.
A Pennsylvania coroner has confirmed the identities and causes of death for two infants who died during the state's measles outbreak. Mary Stoltzfus, 6 weeks old, died on Aug. 18 from a measles infection — she was born with Amish lethal microcephaly, a genetic condition that made her highly vulnerable. Ivan Miller died on Aug. 14 from a ruptured spleen shortly after birth, with measles listed as a contributing condition but not the direct cause. Neither infant was old enough to be vaccinated.
Despite the coroner's conclusions, the CDC has not officially counted either death on its measles tracking webpage, fueling concerns about political interference in public health data reporting. Health Secretary RFK Jr. had previously suggested the deaths "may even have been altogether fabricated," while Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro emphasized that vaccination could have prevented them.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: The CDC's silence on these deaths — amid clear political pressure — is raising alarms about the reliability of federal public health data at a time when measles is surging and the U.S. could lose its measles-free status as early as November.
