- Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said vitamin A could help in the measles epidemic.
- Vitamin A is used worldwide to treat children with measles, but does not prevent infection.
- Researchers have raised concerns to boast it of vitamin A reflects anti-vaccine discussion points.
In Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s response to the epidemic of American measles, he raised his eyebrows by praising an idea: vitamin A.
At least 146 people have been chopped and a child died from the disease, which spreads in western Texas and New Mexico.
The Secretary of the United States of Health addressed the epidemic in an editorial for Fox News. Kennedy, who previously opposed the vaccine mandates, recognized evidence that shows that the ROR vaccine protects against the disease. He has not urged Americans to be vaccinated, To say “the decision to vaccinate is personal”.
Kennedy then underlined vitamin A As a potential treatment for measles, and said that a well -balanced diet “remains a better defense against most chronic and infectious diseases.” In a later interview with Fox News, he suggested treating measles with cod liver oil, a supplement rich in vitamin A and vitamin D.
It did not go well with public health officers.
Vitamin A is often presented by skeptics of vaccines, including the defense of children’s health, the anti-vaccine organization, Kennedy, formerly chaired.
While vitamin A is A well -studied treatment for measles, doctors and researchers told Business Insider that there was no evidence that he could prevent the disease and expressed concerns that Kennedy’s message could perpetuate a false idea that supplements could be an alternative to vaccinations.
“This is not a fairly firm statement,” immunologist Andrea Love told Business Insider. “Good nutrition and vitamin A will not stop an epidemic of measles.”
So, does vitamin A protect against measles?
Vitamin A is used to treat patients with measles in some cases. The World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend giving vitamin A to patients with measles with vitamin deficiency from malnutrition.
Indeed, measles can exhaust the supply of the body to vitamin A, and children with vitamin A run a risk of more serious infection or complications such as high fever, blindness and even death.
The therapeutic doses of vitamin A for measles vary between 15,000 and 60,000 micrograms RAE per dose – much higher than the daily amount recommended for vitamin A in your diet, which is between 700 and 900 RAE micrograms. Cod liver oil is not standard treatment for measles.
Vitamin A is less commonly administered for measles in the United States where people tend to obtain too much Vitamin has rather than too little.
Above all, the dosage of vitamin A supplements will not protect against infection of measles.
Christopher Sudfeld, professor of nutrition at the Harvard Th Chan School of Public – and the author of a study that Kennedy cited in his editorial of Fox News – said that research supports the use of vitamin A to reduce the risk of measles complications, but he wants people to know people This complement will not protect against infection.
“The best intervention we have prevented measles is vaccination. The ROR vaccine is safe and effective in the prevention of measles,” he told Bi.
Vitamin A can be toxic
Vitamin A is a major subject of discussion for anti-vaccine defenders, who defend supplements as a protective measure, despite the evidence of the opposite.
This is why Love, the immunologist, was frustrated by the opinion of Kennedy. It estimated that the resulting message could confuse readers who are already skeptical about vaccines.
“The people who see it will resume the things that resonate with their beliefs,” said Love to Bi. “The whole well-being industry and the pseudoscient landscape play in the idea of taking control of your health.”
The problem is: it is possible to overdose on vitamin A, said Love. Nutrient is soluble on fats, which means that it can accumulate in tissues over time. Too much can cause problems such as headaches, fatigue, joint pain, liver damage and reduced bone density.
“My concern is that people will start vitamin a megadosa and we will see an increase in toxicity,” said Love.
The Word Protective Stonor is a widespread mmr vaccination to reduce the spread of the virus, which is incredibly contagious. A vaccinated person can be infectious for days before showing symptoms, and their breathing particles can linger in the air for hours after leaving a room.
“The most effective preventive measurement is vaccination, which cannot be overestimated,” Dr. Eduardo Villamor, professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan’s University of Michigan, told business insider.
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