The acting director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Jay Bhattacharya, urged Americans on Monday to get vaccinated against measles, calling vaccination the best defense against the disease.
“Measles is preventable, and vaccination remains the most effective way to protect yourself and others,” Bhattacharya said in a video posted on X.
This public health message marks a clear departure from statements made by the previous acting CDC director, Jim O’Neill, who last fall raised questions about vaccine safety and called for spreading vaccinations out into multiple doses.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Has likewise rolled back broad recommendations for six childhood vaccines, stating that parents should make these decisions individually and only after consulting with a physician.
Currently, South Carolina is battling a measles outbreak. The state reported 985 cases as of Friday. According to the latest CDC data, a total of 1,136 confirmed measles cases have been recorded across the United States as of February 26, 2026. This increase in cases highlights the importance of maintaining high vaccination rates to prevent the spread of this highly contagious disease.
A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that a bipartisan majority of Americans believe vaccines are safe and that children should receive them to attend school.
AMERICANS BELIEVE VACCINES ARE SAFE
Bhattacharya stated that the CDC is making additional resources available to support prevention and response efforts and is regularly coordinating with health departments across the country.
“We are prepared to provide CDC personnel, laboratory support, vaccines, and therapeutics upon request,” he said.
Reuters reported last month that South Carolina was seeking reinforcements from outside the CDC to help contain the growing measles outbreak. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control told Reuters it had requested personnel from the nonprofit CDC Foundation.
A South Carolina health official said last week that the CDC has allowed the state to temporarily increase its epidemiology workforce. The state also plans to seek further analytical support from scientists and infectious disease specialists to evaluate data and guide future response actions.
Bhattacharya, who also serves as director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, assumed the role of acting CDC director in February.
The United States is working to maintain its status as a measles-free country, despite the number of confirmed cases reaching its highest level in three decades. Maintaining this status requires ongoing vigilance and robust vaccination programs to protect public health.
