Does an “alternative” measles treatment work?
As measles outbreaks grow in the United States, HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is advertising non-vaccin treatments. But they generally do not help and can be in danger
Measles continues to infect more people across the US as of this weekend, with 935 cases beginning in Texas and spreading to dozens of other states. Inside 285 small children infected, 23%, had to be hospitalized. Additionally, 96% of all cases occur in people who have not been vaccinated or whose condition is unknown. When used, measles vaccines almost always prevent infection. However, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. used his visit to Texas last week, casting unfounded doubts about vaccine safety. It promotes three alternative treatments. Antibiotics, inhaled steroids and vitamin A
Why is it important?
“There is no effective treatment for measles.” Aniruddha Hazraan infectious disease doctor at the University of Chicago School of Medicine. The measles vaccine prevents infection in 97% of cases. However, the treatments Kennedy supports generally do not help children or adults get rid of the virus itself. Sometimes they teeth It is used to help patients to withstand complications that may occur with severe measles infections. But Kennedy’s statement that they are effective measles treatment is “a claim that has no data and is at most half the truth,” Hazra says.
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How about vitamin A?
Among severely malnourished children in developing countries, Vitamin A supports the immune system. This may help them fight measles infection. The World Health Organization says Vitamin A supplements twice a day for two days help prevent eye damage in people with measles due to vitamin deficiency. However, since most children in the US do not have this severe nutritional deficiency, extra vitamin A does not provide an extra layer of protection. And if given over a long period of time, a large amount of supplemental money can become toxic. They can lead to liver damage, harmful water pressure to the brain, and other issues.
What’s the problem with inhaled steroids?
Kennedy highlighted inhaled steroid medications BudesonideIt is often used to reduce swelling in the airways of people with asthma. “These drugs work by suppressing the immune system,” says Hazra. “Frankly, measles can be dangerous because it can make your viral infection worse.” This is because it suppresses the immune cells that the body uses to fight the virus.
Would you like to use antibiotics?
Antibiotics Clarithromycin It may be used to treat bacterial pneumonia. The infection can coexist with severe measles, and in such cases, doctors will use clarithromycin against the bacteria. However, antibiotics only work with bacteria and not viruses, so they do not fight measles infection itself. And many hospitalized measles patients do not develop this type of pneumonia.
What’s next?
Last week, Kennedy announced that he would direct the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Search for new measles treatments. He argued that the government should do more to help those who don’t want to be vaccinated. “I think developing new treatments is a great idea. We don’t get a lot of good antiviral treatments,” says Hazra. “But it would be really difficult for the CDC to do this because of all the massive staff and budget cuts that Kennedy has enacted in the agency.” What’s more, this development of measles seems to be a waste of money and resources. Because there is already a 97% effective approach to drugs: measles vaccines.
