US President Donald Trump has urged parents to get their children vaccination, as the country battles the highest number of measles cases since it declared in 2000 that the virus was eliminated.

"They have to get the shots. The vaccinations are so important. This is really going around now. They have to get their shots," Trump told CNN on April 26. Measles cases in the US have surpassed the highest number on record since 2000.

As of April 24, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were a total 695 cases of measles in the country this year. Many of the case occurred in the states of New York and Washington. California has confirmed 38 cases, state health officials have said. A UNICEF study found that measles deaths were up by 22 per cent in 2017, and complacency and fear of vaccines were among the factors leading to less vaccinations.