Bhattacharya Backs Childhood Vaccines as U.S. Measles Cases Hit 35-Year High
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Aug 9
Bhattacharya Backs Childhood Vaccines as U.S. Measles Cases Hit 35-Year High
2 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Aug 9
Summary
Jay Bhattacharya said parents should vaccinate children with standard shots, especially MMR, calling vaccination the best protection as measles cases reach their highest level in 35 years.
10 states are above the 95% school-year measles coverage threshold, and Bhattacharya said outbreaks have been concentrated in specific communities, with Texas, Arizona, Utah and South Carolina outbreaks addressed and Virginia declining.
On food safety, he said the cyclospora outbreak tied to Mexican iceberg lettuce is larger than usual but that CDC and FDA are tracing sources and pulling contaminated products; the outbreak spans 15 states and has been linked to 2 deaths.
Bhattacharya repeatedly tied falling trust in public health to COVID-era policies and censorship disputes, while declining to detail a reported White House vaccine-autism order and instead pointing to NIH's broader autism research effort.