Feb 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Martin Makary, in an interview on Friday, urged Americans to get vaccinated for measles, as the country faces its largest measles surge in more than three decades.
"When we hear about cases of measles in an outbreak in South Carolina, that should serve as a good reminder for parents to make sure that their kids are vaccinated," Makary said during an appearance on MS NOW's "Chris Jansing Reports".
The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) two-shot protocol remains recommended at the federal level starting at 12 months of age, with a second at 4 to 6 years of age.
South Carolina reported 950 measles cases on Friday, including 17 new infections since Tuesday, according to state health officials. No deaths have been reported by the state.
Among those infected, a significant majority of 883 individuals were unvaccinated, and 19 were partially vaccinated with one of the recommended two-dose measles-mumps-rubella vaccines.
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"I think everyone in this administration has been pretty clear that the best way to prevent measles is to get your kid vaccinated against measles," Makary added.
Earlier this week, National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya also expressed his support for Americans getting vaccinated against measles.
"The answer is yes," Bhattacharya said about the vaccines when asked by Reuters about recent outbreaks.
On Sunday, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz also urged Americans to take the measles vaccine in an interview with CNN. "Take the vaccine, please," he said.
(Reporting by Sneha S K in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)
