Pennsylvania Asks For Emergency CDC Aid For Measles Outbreak -- And Recognition Of Deaths, Report Says

Pennsylvania’s Department of Health requested emergency assistance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to respond to the state’s ongoing measles outbreak, according to Reuters. The request, known as Epi-Aid, was made in a letter sent to the federal agency on Wednesday, with sources telling Reuters that federal recognition of four deaths in Pennsylvania tied to the disease would be required. The development comes weeks after reports said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked the CDC not to include the first two measles-associated deaths in the national count. Governor Josh Shapiro called the reported move “deeply concerning” on Tuesday. The state health department did not immediately comment, and the story was described as breaking.