March 2 (Reuters) – U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acting director Jay Bhattacharya on Monday said the MMR vaccine remains the most reliable and effective way to prevent the spread of measles.
“There is no cure for measles, which is why prevention is so critical,” Bhattacharya said in a video posted on X. “The MMR vaccine remains the most reliable and effective way to prevent it.”
Bhattacharya said the CDC was surging resources to support prevention and response efforts, and was coordinating regularly with health officials across the country.
“We stand ready to provide CDC technical staff, laboratory support, vaccines and therapeutics upon request,” he said.
As of February 26, 1,136 confirmed measles cases were reported in the U.S. in 2026, according to the CDC’s latest data.
Bhattacharya, who is also the director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, stepped in as acting director of the CDC in February.
(Reporting by Sneha S K in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)
