As we have already seen four measles deaths this year amid out of control outbreaks, there is news that RFK, Jr’s CDC wants to change the definition for measles deaths.
And I’m sure you can guess why…
What is a Measles Death?
If you can’t, know that it is because Secretary RFK, Jr doesn’t want all of those people that he scared away from getting an MMR vaccine to realize that you can die when you get measles!
And so he will have his CDC move away from the standard definition that they seem to have been using:
“A measles-related death was defined as the death of a person with measles within 30 days after rash onset, unless the death was unrelated to the disease.”
Lessons and Challenges for Measles Control from Unexpected Large Outbreak, Malawi
And they will now be moving on to something else…
Will they adopt the WHO definition of a measles death?
Acute measles-related death: Any death occurring within 30 days of rash onset of a measles case (laboratory-confirmed, epidemiologically linked, clinically compatible) that is related to a complication of measles (such as pneumonia).
Vaccine-Preventable Disease Surveillance Standards
Or maybe go back to an earlier definition, like from 1911 Britain.
“…that acute specific diseases, if of recent occurrence, are to be considered the primary cause of death, even though the actual disease, as tested by power of infection, be no longer present at the time of death, eg measles (primary), five weeks; bronchopneumonia (secondary) ten days. (General Register Office, 1911)”
‘A confession of ignorance’: deaths from old age and deciphering cause-of-death statistics in Scotland, 1855–1949
All of which had one thing in common - that it is a measles death when measles initiated the chain of events that led to the person’s death.
What to Expect From RFK, Jr’s CDC Definition for Measles Deaths?
So how will RFK, Jr.’s CDC create a new definition of measles measles that can help them minimize deaths from measles?
You might expect their definition to include things like:
any death of an otherwise healthy person with measles without any chronic diseases
any death of an otherwise healthy person with measles without any chronic diseases who was given vitamin A and inhaled budesonide
any death of an otherwise healthy person with measles without any chronic diseases who was given vitamin A and inhaled budesonide and did not include complications, like pneumonia or encephalitis, that were not properly treated
Wait, why all the extras?
That’s easy!
Those are all the excuses that anti-vaccine influencers use to push the idea that the eight measles deaths since January 2025 were not real measles deaths.
Excuses that they think will help them feel better about scaring people away from getting vaccinated and protected…