Dr. Mehmet Oz, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, urged Americans to get vaccinated against measles as outbreaks spread across several states and threaten the nation’s measles-elimination status. He emphasized that Medicare and Medicaid will continue covering the vaccine and said there should be no barriers to access. The outbreaks, which have largely affected children, come amid declining vaccination rates and growing public distrust of vaccines. The debate has intensified due to past vaccine skepticism from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and mixed messaging within the administration about vaccine safety and autism claims.
Date: February 8, 2026. Source: apnews.com