Dr Jay Bhattacharya, acting CDC director, urges parents to keep children vaccinated as US sees spike in measles, amid concerns over declining coverage and rising cases.
Dr Jay Bhattacharya, the head of the National Institutes of Health and the acting director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, has used a Sunday television appearance to argue that parents should keep children up to date on routine vaccinations as measles spreads in the United States. Speaking on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan”, Bhattacharya said he trusted “the science” on vaccines and said he had vaccinated his own children. He also stressed that sending children to school mattered, warning against messaging that could deepen public suspicion of public health advice.
His comments came as measles coverage among US kindergarteners slipped further during the 2024-25 school year, according to CDC data. The agency says vaccination coverage fell to 92.5%, below the 95% level generally needed to help sustain herd immunity. That drop has coincided with the highest national measles case count in 35 years, renewing concern among parents as the new school year approaches.
Bhattacharya said the administration had already seen outbreaks ease in several places, pointing to Texas, Arizona, Utah, South Carolina, Virginia and Pennsylvania. According to his account, one of his first moves in an acting CDC role earlier this year was to urge vaccination as the best way to end a South Carolina outbreak. The CDC’s leadership page now lists him in both posts, underscoring the unusual scope of his public health responsibilities as the department is reorganised.
He also addressed growing speculation about a possible White House order on childhood vaccines and autism, but said he could not discuss details because the plan was not finished. Bhattacharya said scientists should be able to study the causes of rising autism rates without political pressure, while noting that the question is complex and does not have a simple answer. His remarks also landed against the backdrop of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s long record of vaccine scepticism and his promotion of a claim linking vaccines and autism that has been thoroughly debunked.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
