National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr Jay Bhattacharya on 10 August called on American parents to vaccinate their children against measles and other preventable diseases, as the United States records its highest measles caseload in 35 years. Bhattacharya, who is also temporarily co-leading the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), made the appeal during an interview on CBS News' Face the Nation.

The Vaccination Appeal

'The best way to protect your kids from measles is to get the vaccine for measles,' Bhattacharya told CBS anchor Margaret Brennan. He specifically named the standard childhood immunisation schedule — including the measles vaccine and the DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) shot — as essential for most children. Bhattacharya added that he had vaccinated his own children, lending personal weight to his public health message.

He also urged parents not to keep children home out of fear of disease exposure, arguing that school attendance itself supports children's overall wellbeing. 'In any case, it's better to send the kids to school because that's how you keep kids healthy,' he said.

Scale of the Outbreak

Brennan noted during the interview that measles cases in the US have climbed to their highest level in 35 years, with only 10 states having reached the 95 per cent vaccination threshold considered critical for preventing sustained community transmission. Bhattacharya acknowledged that outbreaks in South Carolina, Texas, Arizona, and Utah had been brought under control. Cases in Virginia were reportedly falling sharply, while specific communities in Pennsylvania remained at elevated risk, he said.

This comes amid a broader national debate over childhood immunisation, with vaccine hesitancy rising in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic. Bhattacharya linked the decline in vaccination rates partly to a widespread erosion of public trust in health authorities — a trend he said he was prioritising to reverse.

Vaccines, Autism, and the White House

Bhattacharya also addressed reports that the White House was preparing an executive order relating to vaccines and autism. He said he was not aware of the order's specific contents and believed it had not yet been finalised. 'I don't know exactly what's in this executive order and neither do you,' he told Brennan.

On the broader question of rising autism diagnoses, Bhattacharya said NIH-supported researchers were examining a wide range of potential contributing factors. Early results from more than a dozen teams participating in the Autism Data Science Initiative were expected within weeks. 'If you ask me as a scientist, do I know why we've seen this rise in autism? I'll tell you, I don't know the answer to that question,' he said.

Food Safety Concerns

The interview also covered multiple active food safety alerts. Brennan cited a cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce imported from Mexico, salmonella risks across several food products, and the effect of screwworm infestations on US beef supplies. Bhattacharya said the cyclospora outbreak was larger than in typical years but that federal agencies were actively tracing contaminated products and coordinating recalls with suppliers. 'We're working hard to make sure that the contaminated sources don't get onto the shelves,' he said. He advised consumers concerned about lettuce to wash it thoroughly, remove the outer leaves, or cook their vegetables.

What Comes Next

With early findings from the Autism Data Science Initiative due within weeks and the White House executive order on vaccines reportedly still being drafted, the coming weeks could bring significant policy movement on US public health. The NIH director's unusually direct pro-vaccine stance — at a time when vaccine scepticism has gained political currency in Washington — marks a notable moment in the ongoing national debate over immunisation.