# CDC Secretly Tracks Measles Deaths Removed Under RFK Jr. Order

> Reports reveal HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered measles fatalities scrubbed from public CDC data during an active outbreak.
- Title: CDC Secretly Tracks Measles Deaths Removed Under RFK Jr. Order
- Summary: Reports reveal HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered measles fatalities scrubbed from public CDC data during an active outbreak. Political pressure led…
- Keywords: public health, cdc, rfk jr, measles, vaccines, technology, science, Secretly, Tracks, Deaths, Removed, Under
- Source: Ars Technica — https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/09/reports-rfk-jr-ordered-measles-deaths-deletion-cdc-still-secretly-counts-them
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: public health, cdc, rfk jr, measles, vaccines, technology, science
## Deleted from public view
Reports reveal anti-vaccine Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered the CDC to remove two measles deaths from its public website.

> Kennedy instructed new CDC director Erica Schwartz to delete the two deaths from the agency’s website.
## Tragic losses in Pennsylvania
The deleted deaths involved a newborn and a child from Pennsylvania's ongoing outbreak, which has sickened 540 people so far.
## Still tracked behind closed doors
Despite public erasure, an internal CDC database accessible to health officials continues to count both pediatric deaths.
## Political clash over vaccine data
RFK Jr. publicly claimed without evidence that state officials fabricated the deaths following a heated exchange with Pennsylvania's governor.
## Public disclaimers quietly shifted
The CDC altered its website notes to question whether measles caused the fatalities, despite state health officials confirming they sent full documentation.

> available information does not establish whether measles caused or contributed to the deaths
## Key takeaway

Political pressure led to the public deletion of reported measles deaths at the CDC, even as internal systems continue to log them.