Acting director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Jay Bhattacharya on Monday reiterated that vaccination remains the primary defense against measles, underscoring the importance of prevention in the absence of a cure.
"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."
In his remarks, Bhattacharya said the CDC is intensifying efforts to prevent transmission and to support local and state responses. He described a stepped-up allocation of agency resources and regular coordination with health officials across the country.
"We stand ready to provide CDC technical staff, laboratory support, vaccines and therapeutics upon request," he said, outlining the types of assistance the agency can offer to jurisdictions facing outbreaks or increases in case counts.
The CDC's most recent figures show 1,136 confirmed measles cases in the United States as of February 26, 2026. That tally was cited by Bhattacharya in outlining the current scale of confirmed infections within the country.
Bhattacharya, who also serves as director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, took on the role of acting CDC director in February. In that capacity he is overseeing the agency's immediate prevention and response actions related to measles while coordinating support for public health authorities.
The acting director's comments emphasize prevention through vaccination and the federal agency's preparedness to supply personnel, laboratory capacity, vaccine doses and therapeutics when requested by local health partners. His statement highlights the CDC's active role in both technical coordination and operational support during the current period of confirmed cases.
For public health officials and health systems, the focus in the near term remains on prevention, case identification and ensuring that local providers have access to the resources they request from the CDC.