As measles cases continue to emerge in several US states, treatment and prevention are the best in the heart.
As most infected people are not vaccinated, school-age children, US health agencies have emphasized the importance of receiving two measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines to prevent illness.
In the recent Fox News Digital Op-Ed, HHS secretary RFK Jr. shared his “deep concerns” about the occurrence of measles and its rapid escalation.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: The outbreak of measles is a call to action for all of us
Although there is no approved antiviral for measles, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a statement last week in favour of vitamin A administered under physician supervision as supportive care.
Previous studies published in the International Journal of Epidemiology have shown that vitamin A, along with measles vaccines, could be an effective intervention to prevent measles death in children.
RFK has reiterated the importance of maintaining nutrition and consuming various vitamins such as A, B12, C, D, and E.
“Vitamin A serves as part of a wider treatment protocol, especially in areas with child deficiency.”
Research suggests that vitamin A can help combat measles infections, but Dr. Neil Mannial, a professor of public health services at Northeastern University in Boston, repeatedly said he doesn't prevent the disease.
“The two-dose MMR vaccine is the safest and most effective tool to prevent this highly contagious disease,” he told Fox News Digital.
The CDC recommends a daily dose of 50,000 IU of Vitamin A for babies under 6 months old, 100,000 IU for babies between 6 and 11 months old, and 200,000 IU for children over 12 months old. (istock)
“Vitamin A serves as part of a wider treatment protocol, especially in areas with child deficiency.”
Vitamin A can reduce the severity of measles symptoms and reduce the likelihood of mortality due to illness in patients with vitamin A deficiency, experts say.
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“For children diagnosed with a deficiency of both measles and vitamin A, receiving an age-appropriate dose of vitamin A can reduce the likelihood of severe illness or progression to death,” he added.
Experts warned that vitamin A could be harmful at high doses, so “it is important that vitamin A is not considered the primary course of treatment for all measles cases.”
Experts emphasized that vitamin A is not an alternative to the MMR vaccine and does not prevent measles. (istock)
Dr. Daniel Critzkes, director of the infectious diseases division at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, said vitamin A deficiency is common in developing countries, coinciding with an increase in measles mortality in those regions.
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In an interview with Fox News Digital, Kuritzkes referenced a study at the Harvard-chan School of Public Health in 1993. This “prefers the benefits” of vitamin A supplementation in “setting resource limits” or reducing measles mortality in children in developing countries.
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Infectious disease experts at Keck Medicine at USC Sahil Kern, Maryland, Los Angeles, agreed that Vitamin A is not a direct treatment for measles.
“In fact, children with vitamin A deficiency, which occurs primarily in resource-restricted settings like sub-Saharan Africa, have been shown to have more severe disease symptoms from measles, and can benefit from vitamin A supplementation,” he reverberated on Fox News Digital.
“Vitamin A supplementation has not been shown to prevent measles infection and is not a replacement for vaccination. (istock)
“There is no clear and consistent advantage to vitamin A supplementation in patients in a resource-rich environment like the US that does not have underlying vitamin A deficiency.”
Although Vitamin A is “not likely to harm patients” at the appropriate dose, Khan shared that controlled studies “does not support this practice.”
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The CDC recommends supplementing vitamin A only under the guidance of healthcare professionals. He said this is “very important” to ensure that the correct dose is administered.
“Improper administration can cause toxicity and a condition known as hypervitaminosi, a health problem caused by too much vitamin A,” he warned.
He warned that Vitamin A can be harmful at high doses, leading to a condition called hypervitaminism. (istock)
“Therefore, people should not administer their children common vitamin A supplements purchased from pharmacies or health food stores.”
Maniar, Kuritzkes and Khan all stressed that Vitamin A is not an alternative to vaccination, as MMR vaccines are the “most powerful tool” in preventing and controlling outbreaks.
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“It is important to work together with the community to educate individuals and families about the importance of the MMR vaccine and to ensure that this vaccine is available to everyone who needs it,” Maniaar added.
