NIH Director Calls Measles Vaccination Admirable While Supporting Trump Vaccine Policy Changes

NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya told Fox News that vaccinating children against measles is "admirable" and said the measles vaccine is highly effective. He also defended President Donald Trump's recent executive order that cuts the list of universally recommended childhood vaccines from 18 to 11 and shifts several vaccines to a voluntary category, allowing parents and doctors to decide on their use. The order proposes replacing the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine with three separate shots and encourages states to review school vaccination requirements.

During the signing ceremony, President Trump suggested the combined MMR vaccine could be "quite lethal," later acknowledging he had no evidence for the claim. Medical experts have reiterated that the combined MMR vaccine is safe and warned that separating the components could leave children unprotected for longer periods.

Bhattacharya, who also serves as acting CDC Director, said the administration's approach aims to "increase the trust" between parents and the government, emphasizing a partnership rather than a top-down mandate. He added that the shift in communication is intended to make parents feel more involved in vaccination decisions.

The CDC reported 2,465 measles cases and 38 outbreaks across the United States as of Aug. 7, 2026, surpassing the 2,289 cases recorded for the entire year of 2025, which had been the highest annual total in more than three decades.