Measles cases surge past 900, and Dr. Oz breaks from Trump allies with rare clarity

Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has issued one of the strongest pro-vaccination statements to come from the Trump administration as measles cases continue to rise nationwide. The comments were detailed by The New York Times and stand out amid an administration that has often sent mixed signals on vaccine safety.

The urgency reflects the scale of the outbreak. More than 900 measles cases have now been reported, with South Carolina experiencing the largest U.S. outbreak in recent history. Public health officials warn that continued spread could cause the United States to lose its measles elimination status, a designation held since 2000 that indicates the absence of sustained transmission.

Losing that status would mark a major setback for public health. Measles is highly contagious, and experts say declining vaccination rates have left communities increasingly vulnerable to large outbreaks.

Oz delivers an unusually direct message on vaccination

Appearing on a national news program, Oz urged Americans to get vaccinated, calling it the most effective way to stop the outbreak, as broader policy debates, such as those in which lawmakers say traffickers found a loophole, continue in Washington. “Take the vaccine, please,” he said, adding that the administration would ensure there is no barrier to access for the measles vaccine.

His remarks contrasted sharply with statements from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose messaging on vaccines has been inconsistent. While Kennedy has acknowledged that the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine is effective at preventing disease, he has also raised safety concerns and repeatedly framed vaccination as a personal choice.

Public health experts say that mixed messaging has undermined confidence as cases climbed and spread across state lines last year. During the outbreak, Kennedy promoted alternative remedies and suggested exploring new treatments, comments that experts said risked signaling that vaccination was unnecessary.

The administration has previously taken actions that alarmed vaccine experts. M.M.R. vaccination rates have declined for years, and last fall, Kennedy directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to abandon its longstanding position that vaccines do not cause autism, despite extensive research finding no link. One of his appointees, who chairs the federal vaccine advisory panel, has also said measles vaccination should be optional.

Infectious disease specialist Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota said Oz’s comments were unlikely to reverse the damage. He compared the effort to using a garden hose on a forest fire, arguing that repeated doubts about vaccine safety cannot be undone by a single interview.

Administration officials have defended Kennedy’s record. Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, said leadership has consistently emphasized vaccination as the best protection against measles. Oz echoed that defense during his interview, claiming the department had supported vaccination throughout, a position that drew visible skepticism from the interviewer as case numbers continue to climb, around the same time that Ghislaine Maxwell says she’ll tell everything about related legal matters.