Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said vitamin A may help with the measles outbreak.
Vitamin A is used worldwide to treat children with measles, but it doesn't prevent infection.
Researchers have raised concerns that touting vitamin A mirrors anti-vaccine talking points.
In his response to the US measles outbreak, the new secretary of health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has raised eyebrows by touting vitamin A as a possible treatment.
At least 146 people have been sickened and one child has died from the disease, which is spreading in West Texas and New Mexico.
Kennedy, who has opposed vaccine mandates, addressed the outbreak in an op-ed for Fox News. While he acknowledged that the MMR vaccine protects against the disease, he did not explicitly urge Americans to get vaccinated, saying "the decision to vaccinate is a personal one."
Kennedy also said the CDC released new guidance on using vitamin A as a potential treatment for measles, adding that a well-balanced diet "remains a best defense against most chronic and infectious illnesses." In a subsequent Fox News interview, he suggested treating measles with cod liver oil, a supplement high in vitamin A and vitamin D.
It didn't go down well with public health workers.
Vitamin A is used worldwide to treat children with measles, but it doesn't prevent infection.
Researchers have raised concerns that touting vitamin A mirrors anti-vaccine talking points.
In his response to the US measles outbreak, the new secretary of health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has raised eyebrows by touting vitamin A as a possible treatment.
At least 146 people have been sickened and one child has died from the disease, which is spreading in West Texas and New Mexico.
Kennedy, who has opposed vaccine mandates, addressed the outbreak in an op-ed for Fox News. While he acknowledged that the MMR vaccine protects against the disease, he did not explicitly urge Americans to get vaccinated, saying "the decision to vaccinate is a personal one."
Kennedy also said the CDC released new guidance on using vitamin A as a potential treatment for measles, adding that a well-balanced diet "remains a best defense against most chronic and infectious illnesses." In a subsequent Fox News interview, he suggested treating measles with cod liver oil, a supplement high in vitamin A and vitamin D.
It didn't go down well with public health workers.
3 days ago
