Professor Mehmet Öz, head of the federal insurance agency (Medicare and Medicaid services) in the USA, has addressed the citizens of the country.
According to Medianews.az, Mehmet Öz emphasized the rapid increase in measles infections in the USA and called on the population to get vaccinated.
He stated that the increase in infections poses a risk of the USA losing its status as a country where measles has been eradicated.
Mehmet Öz said that there is a solution to the problem, which is to get vaccinated: “Therefore, I kindly ask you to get vaccinated. Measles is indeed one of the diseases that must be vaccinated against. Within the framework of Medicare and Medicaid programs, the measles vaccine will be fully covered and there will be no obstacles for Americans to access the vaccine.”
Currently, the measles outbreak covering hundreds of infections in the state of South Carolina has surpassed the epidemic recorded in Texas in 2025. Cases have also been identified near the border areas of Utah and Arizona. Confirmed measles cases exist in several other states as well.
The widespread infections mainly among children are causing concern among public health experts.
Experts say that the decrease in public trust in vaccines plays an important role in the re-emergence of measles, which was once practically eliminated in the USA.
According to official data, the vaccination rate in the country is declining and the number of refusals to get vaccinated has reached a historic maximum.
Alongside measles, whooping cough, another vaccine-preventable disease, is also spreading rapidly in the USA.
Toğrul Ali,
Medianews.az