How Is The Federal Government Counting Measles Deaths? Authors: Josh Michaud and Jennifer Kates Published: Oct 15, 2026

https://www.kff.org/other-health/how-is-the-federal-government-counting-measles-deaths/ Recently Secretary of HHS Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., changed how the federal government tracks deaths in its official measles tally, after Pennsylvania reported four deaths. This Policy Watch reviews the two roles, strengths, and weaknesses of the two public health surveillance systems at the center of this change: the Nationally Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) and the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS).