Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump weighed in on the recent measles outbreak in the United States, appearing to do an about-face on his previous claims linking child vaccinations to autism.

"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's Joe Johns on Friday when asked what his message is for parents.

Measles cases in the United States have surpassed the highest number on record since the disease was declared eliminated nationwide in 2000.

As of Monday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 626 individual cases of measles confirmed in those 22 states. This includes illnesses reported by state health departments to the CDC through April 19 and therefore does not include cases reported since then. On Wednesday morning a CNN analysis of data from state and local health departments put the total number of cases at 681 across 22 states.

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Wednesday evening, the CDC confirmed the milestone. In a statement the agency said that as of 3 p.m., it counted 695 cases of the illness this year