President Donald Trump is calling on Americans to get vaccinated against the measles amid a record-high number of infections this year, reports STAT.
"They have to get the shots. The vaccinations are so important," President Trump told reporters April 26. "This is really going around now. They have to get their shots."
The statement marks President Trump's first public comments about vaccines since his inauguration. Before stepping into office, he claimed there was a link between autism and infant vaccinations, according to STAT.
President Trump's call for vaccinations comes just two days after the CDC announced a record number of measles cases in 2019. The agency reported 695 measles cases as of April 24, which marks the highest annual total since U.S. health officials declared the disease eradicated in 2000.