Washington DC - A new report claims Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attempted to cover up deaths in Pennsylvania that were believed to be related to a measles outbreak.

According to Reuters, sources claim RFK Jr. asked Erica Schwartz, his new CDC director, to remove a reference to two of the deaths announced by Pennsylvania officials last week from the agency's online measles tally.

Schwartz reportedly followed the directive without question, removing the two deaths while including a note that read, "At this time, available information does not establish whether measles caused or contributed to the [Pennsylvania] deaths or whether the individuals died from other causes while infected with measles."

Kennedy – who has for years pushed claims that vaccines are dangerous and linked to autism – has been blamed for the resurgence of measles cases by critics who say his anti-vaccine rhetoric has contributed to a drop in immunization rates.

Israel-Palestine Israel seeking Trump's approval on shocking plan to expel all Palestinians from Gaza

The request came after Kennedy got into a public spat with the Pennsylvania's Governor Josh Shapiro, during which the secretary alleged Shapiro and officials deliberately "fabricated" attributing the deaths to measles.

Pennsylvania's health department has reported over 540 measles cases this year alone, while the US as a whole has reported 2,800 cases to date.