Medical professionals across the United States are pushing back against Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy's supposed remedy for measles.
Doctors argue that children are more at risk if they follow the official's recommendations, which is to consume high doses of vitamin A. Many of the parents who are utilizing Kennedy's remedy are those who have anti-vaccine beliefs and are trying to treat and prevent measles in their kids.
Robert Kennedy's Unproven Measles Remedy
Experts argued that while vitamin A can sometimes be useful in managing measles symptoms among people who have low levels of immunity, it is not proven to be effective in safeguarding an individual from contracting the virus.
On the other hand, it has been scientifically proven that two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is 97% effective in preventing infection. Even after a person gets measles, medical professionals advise them that the use of vitamin A should be done under the supervision of health experts, according to TruthOut.
Medical professionals warned that the consumption of high amounts of vitamin A can lead to serious health complications in individuals. This is already being observed in Texas, where unvaccinated children require treatment for liver damage.
The sudden rise in the number of parents who are using vitamin A to treat or prevent measles in their children comes as Kennedy has downplayed the outbreak for weeks now. He also falsely promoted the treatment option as being effective in fighting against measles.
The Dangers of High Doses of Vitamin A
Physicians at Covenant Children's Hospital in Lubbock, Texas, reveal that the children they treated had unsafe doses of cod liver oil and other vitamin A supplements. Dr. Summer Davies, who cares for acutely ill children at the hospital, said that one patient took the supplement for three weeks despite only being sick for a couple of days, the New York Times reported.
On top of causing liver damage, high doses of vitamin A can also result in dry, peeling skin, hair loss, seizures, and even coma. The situation comes as the measles outbreak has already spread to more than 320 people in Texas, 40 of which are in the hospital, and one child has died.
Many public health experts warned against Kennedy's stance on the matter, saying that his words were not rooted in scientific evidence. Kirsten Hokeness, the director of the School of health and Behavioral Sciences at Bryant University, said people should away from these kinds of ideas of fringe theories, as per ABC News.
