Dr. Oz begs Americans to take the measles vaccine as infections soar

https://www.salon.com/2026/02/09/dr-oz-begs-americans-to-take-the-measles-vaccine-as-infections-soar/

The U.S. is in the grips of a historic measles surge, with more than 3,000 measles cases reported in 45 states across the country since the start of 2025. So far, two unvaccinated children have died from the disease. At least 920 people have been infected in South Carolina, and a similar number in Texas. In both states, nearly all infected individuals were unvaccinated.

Now Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is urging Americans to get the measles vaccine as the country is on the brink of losing its measles elimination status.

“Take the vaccine, please. We have a solution for our problem,” Oz said on CNN’s State of Union on Sunday. “Not all illnesses are equally dangerous, and not all people are equally susceptible to those illnesses. But measles is one you should get your vaccine [for],” Oz said.

507 points · 102 comments · view on lemmy.world

102 Comments

some_designer_dude@lemmy.world · 130 pts · 217d

Dr. Oz needs to go back to Emerald City and die.

captainlezbian@lemmy.world · 112 pts · 217d (14 replies)

Yeah turns out there's a reason for that whole MMR thing

hector@lemmy.today · 48 pts · 217d (13 replies)

Mumps and Rubella are no walk in the park either as I understand it. We are so spoiled we don't even know how good we have it with these vaccines, because of the vaccines we don't appreciate vaccines.

MrsDoyle@sh.itjust.works · 25 pts · 217d (2 replies)

because of the vaccines we don't appreciate vaccines

It's like all these things - I've had people tell me climate change won't amount to anything because "look at the hole in the ozone layer, it just went away". It went away because we did something about it! Same with the millennium bug. People worked round the clock fixing it before it was too late.

cjk@discuss.tchncs.de · 11 pts · 217d (1 reply)

The ozone hole has not disappeared. It is shrinking, but there is also a new threat to the ozone layer: the large wild fires are a major problem.

MrsDoyle@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 216d

It's not a crisis that features on front pages though, and the main drivers at the time were identified and eliminated (Montreal protocol). I didn't know wildfires had an effect, that's interesting, and worrying.

captainlezbian@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 217d (9 replies)

Yeah mumps is real bad, and iirc rubella is generally not too bad after birth, but if a pregnant person gets it it's known for causing birth defects.

Vaccines are amazing. Like I get that some like covid and smallpox are unpleasant, but even those are better than the disease. And while many people may not like the idea of giving their kid a vaccine for an std, the hpv vaccine prevents cancer.

hector@lemmy.today · 7 pts · 217d (8 replies)

HPV is everywhere too. Granted the vaccine I believe is only for one or more strains of hpv, while there are a couple of hundred total. But basically anyone that's had sex with anyone has some type of hpv, most people don't show any symptoms for it. But yeah the more problematic ones are a big cause of oral cancers, some anal cancers, cervical, etc.

Also in old age it can do other stuff, like eat into your brain, idk how common that is but it has happened.

SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 10 pts · 217d (6 replies)

Girls who were HPV vaccinated now have almost zero cervical cancer 10 years later.

Free cure for cancer... But nah.

prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 8 pts · 217d (3 replies)

I remember being puzzled that my Christian ("pro-life") parents were so against the HPV vaccine, especially considering that they don't have any daughters.

Turns out they'd prefer women to die of cervical cancer for having sex than to even suggest to a 15yo girl that sex before marriage isn't the most evil thing to ever exist.

Shit is just so painfully fucking stupid and hateful

SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 217d (2 replies)

Same thing at my daughter's school, "the HPV vaccine turns daughters into sluts".

incredible to see this level of ignorance in the 21 century.

prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 2 pts · 217d

Like you literally don't even need to tell them it's for an STD if that's your prerogative. Just tell them it's to prevent cancer.

It's so fucking stupid I hate it so much

hector@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 217d (1 reply)

I think men and woman can get oral cancers from those same strains, and others, of hpv too. Like throat cancers. But there are like hundreds of strains, near 200 just in people.

SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 216d

Boys should get it as well.

YetAnotherNerd@sopuli.xyz · 5 pts · 217d

True story - mother in law, Deep South railed against it. She never stood a chance. But we said, effectively “wait, so cancer runs in your family, and this prevents a type of cancer, what kind of monster doesn’t want their grandkids protected from at least some cancer”

ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world · 86 pts · 217d (11 replies)

"B-but... Vaccines BAD! Vaccines give babby autism!"

turboSnail@piefed.europe.pub · 30 pts · 217d (6 replies)

Don't forget about the 5G tracking microchip you can easily detect if you bring a metallic items near your arm.

Now that it's been years since anyone brought this up, it sounds completely insane and stupid. I think someone should have documented all of this absolutely hilarious trash that used to float around the internet during the pandemic. Future generations are not going to believe how wild it got.

thesohoriots@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 217d

Hey now, my cell phone coverage has been great since the vaccine, even in the upstairs corner!

CileTheSane@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 217d (1 reply)

Reminds me of a video where a guy was freaking out because magnets would stick to his arm. Comments said 'put some talcum powder on your arm and try again' so he did; magically the magnets wouldn't stick anymore...

turboSnail@piefed.europe.pub · 2 pts · 216d

That was hilarious. There were so many videos like that.

Valmond@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 217d (2 replies)

Let's add wifi and cell towers giving you migraine, cancer and whatnot before everyone got a mobile. Say 1995-2000 was probably the best moment to hear all those morons tell you how dangerous the "radiation" was.

turboSnail@piefed.europe.pub · 2 pts · 216d

And now wifi is everywhere, but we still haven’t died. Go figure…

Digit@lemmy.wtf · 1 pts · 216d
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wuffah@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 217d

The diseases that vaccines prevent are so horrible and spreadable that even if vaccines did cause autism, it would still be completely worth it.

a_non_monotonic_function@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 217d (2 replies)

Sorry, most recent science indicates Tylenol and the amount of foreskin.

SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 217d (1 reply)

No, that was 2025, scientific advances now reveal a small green elf living in your stomach as the cause.

MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 217d

My lil' elf is a pompous SOB. His name is Claudius and he thinks he can make my shit smell better.

SuiXi3D@fedia.io · 63 pts · 217d (4 replies)

gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works · 36 pts · 217d (3 replies)

This is one of the few instances of AI slop that I actually chuckled at

SuiXi3D@fedia.io · 12 pts · 217d (2 replies)

I didn’t generate it, just saved it from somewhere someone else posted it. Can’t help but agree with you.

JoMiran@lemmy.ml · 17 pts · 217d (1 reply)

I wonder if we can get someone to recreate it without the use of AI.

lectricleopard@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 217d

Id prefer stick drawing to AI slop. You can convey an artists emotional intent with a stick drawing. This is kinda bland in its execution.

AlexLost@lemmy.world · 58 pts · 217d

You wouldn't have to beg people if you didn't fund and propagate medical misinformation? Just a thought...

pressedhams@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 36 pts · 217d

Eat shit Mehmet.

MehBlah@lemmy.world · 32 pts · 217d (3 replies)

Go fuck yourself oz. You helped and continue to help this happen. It was certain the first time we let these trash humans decide not to let their kids get the vaccines. They put people in jail for letting their kids walk a block to the store on their own but these horrible people get a free pass.

PhoenixDog@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 216d (2 replies)

Measles is spreading because this administration made vaccines a terrible word when Trump was in charge in his first term with COVID. Trump and his group of ass-faces are WHY America is in this crisis.

The US led the world in Covid deaths because vaccines were why people were dying, not a preventable disease. Now people who have hitched their wagon to that orange turd want to try and right the ship?

Fuck off, Oz. People are dying in the most horrible ways because of people like you just wanting an easy pay day siding with this Trump administration. You're the problem. Too late now to go back on that.

MehBlah@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 216d

You get it.

Digit@lemmy.wtf · 1 pts · 216d
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mrmaplebar@fedia.io · 32 pts · 217d

Dipshits spend 15 years dismissing and spreading fud about vaccines, only to beg their people to get a vaccine. Too little, too late.

herseycokguzelolacak@lemmy.ml · 30 pts · 216d (2 replies)

The measles vaccine has been applied to hundreds of millions of people already, maybe billions even. It is one of the safest vaccines ever. You have to be a moron to not have it.

hanrahan@slrpnk.net · 22 pts · 216d

You have to be a moron to not have it.

Maga/QAnon enters the chat.

SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 12 pts · 216d

myfunnyaccountname@lemmy.zip · 26 pts · 217d (4 replies)

Just saw a news article. Someone in my area with measles and contagious went to the gym, a couple of grocery stores, out to eat. People don’t give a fuck about anyone else.

ByteOnBikes@slrpnk.net · 20 pts · 217d (1 reply)

A percentage of American have been emboldened with "ain't my problem".

It happened when they made COVID-19 political.

Doomsider@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 216d

Nothing like making everyone's health and well-being a political hot-button issue. I missed the day that every politician suddenly knows more than every doctor and research scientist combined.

BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 7 pts · 217d

"You're all protected by your precious vaccines, right?"

cozzy@futurology.today · 1 pts · 216d

Well hello to you too my fellow triangle resident

splashgarden@lemmy.zip · 25 pts · 217d

Guy who advocates against vaccines shocked at disease outbreak

boaratio@lemmy.world · 25 pts · 217d

Oprah has promoted so many evil people. She's culpable for so many deaths. Don't look up the time she had John of God on her show.

Etterra@discuss.online · 24 pts · 217d (7 replies)

You retched fuck.

captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works · 14 pts · 217d (6 replies)

You might have meant wretched. "retched" is a single-syllable word meaning dry heaved. I mean, I will believe you if you told me he makes you gag.

Etterra@discuss.online · 9 pts · 217d (2 replies)

That was a typo and I did mean wretched, however it's not impossible that he came into existence by being vomited up by some Eldritch entity.

captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 217d (1 reply)

No need for supernatural evil when his character and behavior can be explained by perfectly ordinary money and fame.

Etterra@discuss.online · 4 pts · 217d

At this point I'm not sure there's a difference anymore.

thespcicifcocean@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 217d (2 replies)

I've noticed an uptick in people spelling it without the w, and even changing the spelling to "ratchet". I'm not sure if it's a joke and at thins point, I'm too afraid to ask.

captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 217d

We are talking about the removal of a silent W which is probably there because someone who wore breeches wanted to make literacy harder for the poor.

altphoto@lemmy.today · 4 pts · 217d

Hey, don't get retched, pass me that wretched ratchet, I got some rat shit on my shirt and now I'm also retched.

NutWrench@lemmy.ml · 23 pts · 217d (7 replies)

Fark Dr Oz. Over a million Americans died during Covid 1.0. and he hitched himself to this plague wagon administration anyway. Denounce RFK and resign, you cowardly fark.

BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 9 pts · 217d (5 replies)

You can say Fuck.

Blackmist@feddit.uk · 2 pts · 216d (4 replies)

BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 216d (3 replies)

No SINGLE WOMEN?

SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 216d (2 replies)

No TREE CLIMBING??

BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 216d

Sounds like a terrible summer camp.

Digit@lemmy.wtf · 1 pts · 216d
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CetaceanNeeded@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 217d

Fuck the cunt.

ChicoSuave@lemmy.world · 22 pts · 217d (2 replies)

“Take the vaccine, please. We have a solution for our problem,” Oz said

The political right is making their bed. Let them have fewer voters in a few years.

Digit@lemmy.wtf · 1 pts · 216d
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bizarroland@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 217d

But also, when a fool dispenses wisdom don't consider the wisdom based on its source.

The fool may go on being a fool but the wisdom will not.

sundray@lemmus.org · 22 pts · 217d

So, will RFK get Oz kicked out of the administration, or simply punch him in the face in an adderall-fueled rage? Cold comfort either way.

TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 217d

I first knew about him from Oprah. Unfortunately, Oprah platformed many quacks who are now in positions of power. I can't believe I used to watch the show, but I was too young to know better before.

SnarkoPolo@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 217d (1 reply)

Nah. Chiropractors and horse paste.

LETS GO DARWIN

SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 216d

Oz was more scientific, he sold herbs and feathers. This would be a two blue, three red feather prescription.

0li0li@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 217d (12 replies)

Last I checked, he was not a doctor and could only use this title as his tv show persona.

Anways, not like I would ever cobsider him a fucking doctor lol

Khanzarate@lemmy.world · 33 pts · 217d (8 replies)

Nah that's Dr. Phil.

Dr. Oz is a medical doctor and actually has contributed to medical science in a significant way, too. He's done at least one successful heart transplant that I know about and helped make the LVAD.

Comparing him to Dr. Phil, though, all we really learn is that real and fake doctors can peddle bullshit and misinformation on TV.

Marshezezz@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 23 pts · 217d (3 replies)
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EditsHisComments@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 217d (2 replies)

Right now? Do people not remember this fucker had a very successful TV show thanks to Oprah where he peddled snake oil for years?

Marshezezz@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 10 pts · 217d
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SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 217d

He side hustled berries, herbs and colored feathers. Alternative medicine = not medicine.

SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 217d (3 replies)

Nah. Mehmet Oz played a trick of MDs at university centers of getting his name on scientific studies or which he did fuck all. Because of this, journals now require statement of exact contribution because too many papers were published with >50 MDs who all scurry like roaches when the work is found fraudulent.

Khanzarate@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 216d (2 replies)

You got a source for that, by chance?

SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 216d (1 reply)

ICMJE | Recommendations | Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors https://share.google/Hsmr4prehPkQPZqfj

Khanzarate@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 215d

I'm sorry, I more meant anything supporting he did that, specifically.

I'm finding articles about how X thing he did isn't fully legitimate because it doesn't have the research, he peddled it anyway, or how X thing he claimed was completely baseless, but nothing indicating he ever stole authorship or paid off some group to falsely be listed as an author.

assembly@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 217d (2 replies)

I thought that was Doctor Phil..the psych guy

ThatGuy46475@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 217d (1 reply)

He has a doctorate just not in psychology

Brunbrun6766@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 217d

No his doctorate IS in clinical psychology, he just hasn't had a license to practice since 2006 and is not an MD

Alpha71@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 217d

I really wish Canada would use this to close our borders to the U.S.

87Six@lemmy.zip · 15 pts · 217d (4 replies)

You know what? Just don't take it. Go die of fucking measels if that's what you want you gormless moroons.

I wish they could develop and die of measels without spreading it to innocents and children.

Ookami38@sh.itjust.works · 25 pts · 217d

The problem is, it's almost never the people making the decision that get sick. It's usually their kids. I don't like punishing the kids for the sake of proving the parents wrong.

BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 13 pts · 217d (2 replies)

The problem is that as effective as vaccines are, they still have a failure rate. A certain number of VACCINATED individuals are still going to get break-through infections. Usually the incidents of a disease are so rare it never affects the vaccinated, but in a break-out like this, a lot more vulnerable vaxxed individuals have a lot more contact with sick people, and they catch it. That gives the disease the opportunity to mutate around the known vaccines, rendering the current vaccines useless.

They aren't just threatening other anti-vaxx dummies, they are affecting ALL of us.

87Six@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 217d (1 reply)

Yea man I know.

I wish I could isolate myself from these morons forever.

BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 4 pts · 216d

That's why we have to characterize them as disgusting, dirty, and dangerous, and shun them from normal society.

CileTheSane@lemmy.ca · 13 pts · 217d (3 replies)

In today's episode of "Thing 'Conservatives' warned would happen, happens. Conservatives shocked..."

PhoenixDog@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 216d (2 replies)

Vaccines are bad.

USA leads world in COVID deaths

Vaccines are bad.

Measles outbreaks across 46 states, could lose eliminated status.


I feel like there's a theme here with Trump administrations.

mitkase@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 215d (1 reply)

In all fairness to the administration, if they kill everybody in the country nobody will be around to vote against them.

PhoenixDog@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 215d

They're mostly killing their own dumbfuck voters.

SeductiveTortoise@piefed.social · 12 pts · 217d

Oh no, the gullible people your friends need to get elected are the gullible people that ate up your antivax bullshit. Who would have thought!

SabinStargem@lemmy.today · 12 pts · 217d

While he is correct, he is also the wrong messenger. This is like as if Trump started quoting bible verses about helping the poor and offering the other cheek.

Even though it makes sense, I would be filled with a profound sense of mistrust about their motivations. Is Dr. Oz selling vaccines at a massive markup or something?

...get your vaccine, preferably without the Regime's "help". The odds of them fucking things up is disturbingly high.

Objection@lemmy.ml · 9 pts · 216d

resipsaloquitur@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 217d

Now I don’t want to.

melsaskca@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 217d (1 reply)

What!? A vaccine? Not a supplement? Oz, it's about the money, not the people. You should know that by now. Now mix up some Ginseng and some Ginger and sell, sell sell! /s

Schadrach@lemmy.sdf.org · 4 pts · 216d

Now mix up some Ginseng and some Ginger and sell, sell sell! /s

Then steep the resulting powder in gin to do an alcohol based extraction. Market it as Gin^3^! All natural cure-all!

Tabula_stercore@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 216d

Travel ban the usians

switcheroo@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 216d (1 reply)

Look at that guy. No way I take advice from someone who looks like that demon wearing an ill fitting human skin suit Copeland...

Copeland Lite, if you will.

In this case though, yes get vaccinated. Don't be a dumbass.

sunnytimes@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 216d

Edgar Oz

Digit@lemmy.wtf · 2 pts · 216d
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Digit@lemmy.wtf · 1 pts · 216d (1 reply)
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Digit@lemmy.wtf · 1 pts · 216d
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justsomeguy@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 217d (2 replies)

I don't like this guy but as far as I understand it he has been endorsing vaccines for a long time and whatever his other pseudo medical opinions may be, this one he's right about. He perhaps reaches more of the exact audience that is reluctant to vaccinate.

SippyCup@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 217d (1 reply)

He isn't an idiot. He's a grifter but he's never gotten high on his own supply. Sadly he's about to learn he was the beneficiary of a cultural shift, not the driving force behind it.

hector@lemmy.today · 8 pts · 217d

Does that make it better or worse that they are just playing the sheep? That at best he lacked the integrity and character to stand up and oppose misinformation that will get those people killed?

He doesn't deserve any credit, especially as a tv doctor, and he took a position in this administration as well, he knows what he's doing, and he's implicitly endorsed anti vaccination lies.