The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its national measles death count on Monday, Sept. 28, to two deaths in 2026. The figure remains below Pennsylvania’s report of four measles-associated deaths during an outbreak that surpassed 900 cases this week. The CDC’s database does not say where or when the deaths occurred, so it is unclear whether the federal count includes any of the deaths reported by Pennsylvania. No other state has reported a measles death this year, according to the information available with the update. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said the National Center for Health Statistics received another state report of a measles-related death. The center verified that measles was listed as the underlying cause before the CDC updated its tally. Pennsylvania reported two infant deaths tied to measles in late August and two more in mid-September. The CDC added its first death to the 2026 count last week. The difference between the state and federal figures has unfolded amid a public dispute between Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kennedy has questioned whether the Pennsylvania deaths were directly caused by measles and accused Shapiro of politicizing the outbreak. The CDC’s published national tally has not included all four deaths Pennsylvania reported, departing from the agency’s typical practice of accepting state death reports, according to the available account. The gap underscores the importance of clear, timely public-health reporting as outbreaks spread. Without details identifying which deaths are included, the national tally cannot be readily reconciled with Pennsylvania’s count.