By Kamal Choudhury
Oct 20 (Reuters) – The United States has logged a third measles-related death this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday, as the country battles its worst outbreak in decades.
The toll matches the previous year’s total, with the agency reporting 4,410 confirmed cases nationwide as of October 15.
CDC had reported two deaths related to the once-eliminated disease in September.
The US Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, told Reuters that the National Center for Health Statistics received a report of a measles-related death and verified that the disease was the underlying cause.
The CDC did not name the states where the deaths occurred.
STATE TALLIES AND FEDERAL AID
The federal death toll remains lower than figures reported by local health authorities, with Pennsylvania recording five confirmed measles-associated deaths — all in unvaccinated individuals — as of October 19.
The gap in numbers follows a policy shift under US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with the CDC switching to NCHS mortality data to track measles deaths, replacing its earlier reliance on state health departments’ figures.
“We should not have any measles deaths in the United States,” said William Moss, an epidemiology professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, noting the disease was declared eliminated in the country in 2000.
He called for stronger federal efforts to boost vaccination in vulnerable communities and tackle misinformation.
Last week, the CDC agreed to deploy additional support to Pennsylvania to help investigate the outbreak.
The state, which has been hit hardest by the resurgence, has logged 1,286 cases, and officials are reviewing an additional death reported by the Franklin County coroner.
In neighboring New York, the state health department reported 162 measles cases as of October 17. Governor Kathy Hochul declared a statewide disaster emergency earlier this month and said she would seek federal help.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease but can be prevented through the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, which is about 97% effective after two doses.
(Reporting by Kamal Choudhury in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva, Leroy Leo and Vijay Kishore)
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