Overview
- CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz told CNN, “Take the vaccine, please,” and said people should “for sure” fear measles.
- Oz affirmed that Medicare and Medicaid will continue to cover the MMR shot, saying there will be no barrier to accessing the vaccine and that it remains on the core schedule.
- South Carolina has reported about 920 cases as of Feb. 3, with additional clusters along the Utah–Arizona border, while the CDC counted 733 U.S. cases this year through Feb. 5.
- Kindergarten MMR coverage has fallen to 92.5% in 2024–2025 from 95.2% in 2019–2020, dropping below typical herd-immunity thresholds, according to CDC data.
- Oz defended HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. even as the administration’s recent cut to universally recommended childhood vaccines from 17 to 11 and mixed messaging drew on-air pushback and criticism.