As Cases of measles Continue to appear in several countries in the US, treatment and prevention are the top of the mind.
As most of the infected persons were unvaccinated, school children, US health agencies emphasized the importance of receiving two doses of vaccines against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) to prevent the disease.
In recent Fox News Digital OP-ed, HHS Secretary Rfk JR. He shared his “deep concern” because of the epidemic of measles and fast escalation.
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RFK noted that although there was no approved antivirus for measles, centers for the control and prevention of the disease posted a statement last week that supports vitamin A application under the supervision of a doctor as support.
A previous study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology has shown that Vitamin A, combined with measles vaccine, can be an effective intervention in preventing measles in children.
RFK reiterated the importance of maintenance Good nutrition And consuming various vitamins – such as A, B12, C, D and E – as “the best defense against” chronic and infectious diseases.
“Vitamin A can help as part of a wider treatment protocol, especially in areas where children are insufficient.”
Although studies suggest that Vitamin A can help fight measles infection, Neil Maniar, a doctor of science, MPH, a public health professor at Northeastern University in Boston, reiterated that he did not prevent the disease.
” Mmr vaccine with two doses is our safest and most effective tool to prevent this very infectious disease, “he told Fox News Digital.
CDC recommends daily doses of vitamin A at 50,000 IU for infants under 6 months of age, 100,000 and for infants aged 6 to 11 months and 200,000 and for children aged 12 months and over. (East)
“Vitamin A may be helpful as part of a wider treatment protocol, especially in areas where Children have a shortage. “
Vitamin A can reduce the severity of measles symptoms, as well as the likelihood of mortality from illness in people with vitamin A deficiency, the expert noted.
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“For children who are diagnosed with lack of measles and vitamins A, receiving doses of vitamin A can reduce the likelihood of progress on serious illness or death,” he added.
The expert warned that Vitamin A can be harmful in high doses, so “it is critical that Vitamin A is not observed as the primary course of treatment for all measles cases.”
Experts emphasized that Vitamin A is not an alternative to the MMR vaccine and will not prevent measles. (East)
Dr. Daniel Kritzkes, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and the Boston Women’s Hospital, stated that vitamin A deficiency is common in developing countries, which coincides with the increased mortality of measles in these areas.
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During an interview with Fox News Digital, Kritzkes cited research with Harvard-Chaol of Public Health in 1993, which “favored” Vitamin A supplements in reducing the mortality of measles for children in “Settings of Limited Resources” or in developing nations.
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Saahir Khan, MD, an expert in infectious diseases with Keck medicine USC Los Angeles, agreed that Vitamin A is not direct treatment of measles.
“Instead, children who have vitamin A deficiency, as it happens primarily in settings limited resources such as Subsahar Africa, has proven to be more difficult Disease manifestations From measles and may benefit from vitamin A supplement to correct their fundamental drawback, “echoed at Fox News Digital.
“It has not been shown that the addition of vitamin A prevents measles infection and in no way is not a substitute for vaccination, which has a proven benefit to prevent measles,” said one doctor. (East)
“Studies have not shown a clear, consistent benefit to the supplement of vitamin A among patients in environments rich in resources such as the United States that do not have a fundamental deficiency of Vitamin A.”
Although Vitamin A is “unlikely to harm the patient” in appropriate doses, Khan shared these controlled studies “do not support this practice”.
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CDC recommends the Vitamin A supplement only under the leadership a Health workerwhich Kritzkes said was “critically important” to ensure that the correct dose is applied.
“Inappropriate dosing can result in toxicity and condition known as hypervitamines, a health problem caused by too much vitamin A,” he warned.
Vitamin A can be harmful in high doses and can lead to a condition called hypervitaminosis, a doctor warned. (East)
“So people should not manage generic supplements with Vitamin A purchased at a pharmacy or health store to their children.”
Maniard, Kritzkes and Khan emphasized that Vitamin A is not a alternative to vaccinationHow MMR is the “most powerful tool” vaccine in preventing and controlling the epidemic.
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“It is of vital importance that we work in partnership with communities to educate individuals and families on the importance of MMR vaccine and ensure that this vaccine is available to anyone who needs it,” Maniar added.
