Acting CDC director Bhattacharya urges measles vaccines

March 3, 2026 - 01:20

Jay Bhattacharya, the newly appointed acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), issued a strong public appeal on Monday for families to ensure they are vaccinated against measles. This call to action comes in response to a concerning increase in measles outbreaks being reported in various communities across the United States.

Bhattacharya highlighted the critical importance of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine as a safe and highly effective tool for preventing the serious and highly contagious disease. He stressed that measles is not a benign childhood illness but can lead to severe health complications, including pneumonia, encephalitis, and even death, particularly in young children and vulnerable individuals.

Public health officials are tracking multiple clusters of cases, largely linked to international travel and pockets of low vaccination coverage. The acting director underscored that high community vaccination rates are essential to protect those who cannot receive the vaccine, such as infants and individuals with certain medical conditions, through herd immunity. The CDC continues to work closely with state and local health departments to monitor the situation and contain the spread, reiterating that vaccination remains the best defense against a preventable disease.