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Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Measles Is Spreading, and RFK Jr. Is Praising Quacks
Last week, an 8-year-old girl became the second child and the third person to die of measles in the current outbreak. But it was Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of health and human services, who dominated the news cycle. 'The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine,' Kennedy wrote on X on Sunday afternoon. It was hailed as his strongest endorsement of measles vaccination yet. But in his next post, a few hours later, Kennedy praised two controversial doctors' unproven treatments for measles, making no mention of vaccines. On Thursday, he followed that up by saying on Fox News that 'we need to do better at treating kids who have this disease, and not just saying the only answer is vaccination.' This type of framing makes it sound like families have two equal options for dealing with measles. 'It provides a false equivalency—it says you can either get vaccinated or you can be treated with these unproven interventions,' Peter Hotez, dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told me. Instead, 'his rhetoric should be on one thing and one thing only; it should be all hands on deck, in terms of launching a catch-up vaccination campaign and explaining to parents the vital importance of getting vaccinated,' Hotez said. 'That's the only way you can prevent this epidemic from accelerating, and it's the only way you can hope to contain it. And there's no other intervention.' Children's Health Defense, the anti-vaccine organization helmed by Kennedy until recently, has made claims even wilder than the health secretary's—even seeming to argue that it's the hospital killing kids, not measles. CHD claimed in March that the first child died as a result of 'medical error' because doctors gave her certain antibiotics instead of their preferred antibiotics for a secondary bacterial infection that developed during her measles illness. (Measles itself is a viral illness. Antibiotics will not treat it, though antibiotics can treat bacterial infections that develop as a result of the primary illness.) In reality, that type of secondary infection isn't fatal, and it's not what killed the little girl. Measles did. Even so, other anti-science quacks are echoing the same argument, with one doctor who rose to prominence by spreading Covid-19 misinformation asserting the second girl died from being 'improperly medically managed.' This isn't anti-vaxxers squabbling at the fringes; these are conversations that are driving the Texas outbreak forward and apparently informing the federal response to measles. It has implications not just for Texas but for the entire country. Health workers in Texas told me that parents are waiting until children are severely ill before they bring them to the hospital. Meanwhile, they're trying unproven remedies, including toxic doses of vitamin A—which puts sick children at grave risk and does nothing to halt the virus as it tears through communities. One of Kennedy's first moves as health secretary was opening yet another inquiry into whether there's a connection between vaccines and autism—a long-discredited theory that caused vaccination rates to drop. On Thursday, Kennedy said those results were expected to be made public in the fall: 'By September, we will know what has caused the autism epidemic and we will be able to eliminate those exposures.' It seems to be a chilling allusion to the way vaccines are coming under attack, while also spreading stigma and fear about autism. All of this means the U.S. is now at risk of losing its measles-eliminated status—and we're at risk of having to deal with outbreaks like these regularly, as new misinformation proliferates from the highest Kennedy wrote, in his Sunday afternoon post encouraging vaccines, that 'the growth rates for new cases and hospitalizations have flattened,' after federal resources were sent to Texas in early March, cases are in fact rising quickly—and more are likely going undetected. The outbreak in Texas has risen to 541 known cases and 56 hospitalizations. The two children who died in Texas had no previous health conditions, other than being unvaccinated. The outbreak has also spread to New Mexico, where 58 people have tested positive, four have been hospitalized, and one has died; to Oklahoma, with 12 known cases; and possibly to Kansas, which has identified 32 cases and one hospitalization since March 13. 'It's a pretty serious, massive measles epidemic,' Hotez said. The fact that two school-aged kids have died in Texas, and another person in New Mexico died after measles infection, also suggests that the current numbers are likely undercounted. 'There could easily be 1,000 cases or more,' he said—and this outbreak 'still has a lot of energy behind it.' In his post on Sunday evening, Kennedy posted photos where he posed, smiling, with the two grieving families and one family whose daughter recovered after three weeks in the intensive care unit. While he didn't mention that 2-year-old survivor's doctors or detail the care she received in the hospital, he did single out 'two extraordinary healers,' Richard Bartlett and William 'Ben' Edwards, who he claimed have 'treated and healed' about 300 Mennonite children sickened by measles in Texas, using inhaled budesonide and clarithromycin. About those 'healers': In 2003, Richard Bartlett allegedly gave five of his patients risky medications, including powerful intravenous antibiotics, without weighing the harms of the treatment, according to a complaint to the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners, which found Bartlett was 'not practicing medicine in a manner consistent with public health and welfare.' Bartlett reached a settlement with the board, without admitting to wrongdoing, by agreeing to undergo additional medical training and to submit to temporary oversight of his work. As for the two treatments Kennedy highlighted: Aerosolized budesonide is an asthma treatment. While it might help measles patients who also have asthma, it's unlikely to help and could even hurt sick kids without asthma, doctors told me. Clarithromycin is an antibiotic usually not used in children; while it can treat secondary bacterial infections that arise after respiratory illnesses, an antibiotic will not help with a viral illness—and a deadly virus like measles is the primary concern, even as doctors treat secondary illnesses as well. 'Sometimes we do need to add other types of medications,' Elizabeth Murray, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at the University of Rochester, told me. 'However, saying we can treat measles with an antibiotic is a misleading approach' because it won't treat the 'underlying' illness of measles, she said. And doctors need to take great care with matching bacterial infections to the most effective antibiotics. 'We try to be very diligent and vigilant about using antibiotics because of resistance that can be built up if we just give people antibiotics kind of willy-nilly,' said Murray. Claiming that hundreds of children received these treatments and recovered, Murray said, is an example of survivor bias: 'If we're taking a sample of people who don't need to be hospitalized, their outcomes are going to be different than people who are sick enough to be in the hospital.' Without full information about their illnesses, 'we can't make accurate conclusions' about the role of the unproven treatments, she said. It is good that Kennedy is finally talking about the importance of getting vaccinated with the MMR shot, Hotez said. 'But it comes after he put out a lot of head-scratching information about budesonide and vitamin A and clarithromycin, and he needs to walk that back in a more explicit way.'In March, soon after their daughter, Kayley, became the first child in the U.S. to die of measles in a decade, Peter and Eva Fehr went on camera to talk about their experiences with the Children's Health Defense. 'We would absolutely not take the MMR [vaccine],' said Eva Fehr. 'The measles wasn't that bad; they [other children] got over it pretty quickly. And Dr. Edwards was there for us.' 'He was amazing. He was great,' Peter Fehr said. 'Don't do the shots,' Eva added through a translator. 'There's doctors that can help with measles.' It might be easy to interpret their words as carelessness about their child's death. Their other four children survived; on the whole, measles wasn't that bad. But Peter and Eva Fehr are genuinely grieving their daughter's death; several times, they paused the interview as tears rolled down their cheeks. Instead, they seem to place the blame on the doctors who treated Kayley in the hospital. They contrast her treatment, where she was placed on a ventilator, with their other children's, who got better after taking Edwards' treatment regimen. It's a clear, heartbreaking example of how survivor bias, fueled by misinformation, leads to exactly the wrong conclusion that there are other, better options for measles beyond vaccination and hospital care. The ventilator or a lack of antibiotics didn't lead to Kayley's death; the virus that made her sick enough to need a ventilator did. The other children survived because they were lucky enough to avoid such a severe infection in the first place. And the video, distributed by a leading anti-vaccine organization, may do untold harm in communities around the globe. How much harm Kennedy himself may do by promoting these doctors and treatments is hard to predict. 'I don't know, because I don't know that we've ever seen anything like this before,' Murray said. To battle misinformation, people need to have good relationships with trusted medical providers and understand how to 'weed through this firehose of stuff that comes at us on social media,' Murray said. 'If it's scare tactics being used instead of facts, then it's very easy to be misled.' Even so, 'the overwhelming majority of families throughout our nation are choosing to vaccinate themselves and their children,' Murray pointed out. More than walking back his statements on unproven treatments, Kennedy needs to reverse his yearslong stance on thoroughly discredited links between vaccines and autism, Hotez said. 'This is a disproven link. We've been at this for 25 years. We have multiple studies showing vaccines don't cause autism in all the different forms that they allege, and we have a lack of plausibility, because autism begins through the action of autism genes that we've identified through early fetal brain development.' As health secretary, Kennedy 'needs to finally end his insistence on looking at vaccines and autism—that's causing parents to be hesitant about getting vaccinated,' Hotez said. Instead, going by his statements this week, Kennedy seems to be doubling down.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Multistate measles outbreak leads to dangerous vitamin A toxicity
As a measles outbreak spreads across the United States, doctors are now seeing a new and unexpected danger: children getting sick from taking too much vitamin A. At Covenant Children's Hospital in Lubbock, Texas, several unvaccinated children showed signs of liver problems after taking large amounts of vitamin A, according to Dr. Lara Johnson, the hospital's chief medical officer. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promoted vitamin A during the outbreak, even suggesting it might help prevent measles. But doctors say this isn't true. "If people have the mistaken impression that you have an either-or choice of MMR vaccine or vitamin A, you're going to get a lot of kids unnecessarily infected with measles. That's a problem, especially during an epidemic," Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN. "And second, you have this unregulated medicine in terms of doses being given and potential toxicities," Hotez said. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is the only proven way to prevent measles. It is 97% effective after two doses. Kennedy has said he encourages vaccines, but considers vaccination a personal choice. Vitamin A can be helpful for people with measles when given in the right dose by a doctor. But taking too much, especially without medical supervision, can be dangerous. Vitamin A is fat-soluble and can build up in the body. This can lead to dry skin, blurry vision, bone problems and liver damage. In pregnant women, it can even cause birth defects. Dr. Lesley Motheral, a pediatrician in Lubbock, said kids in Texas are generally well-nourished and don't need extra vitamin A. "Recovery for patients with acute toxicity can be rapid when the vitamin is discontinued," Motheral said. "Sadly, some of the more serious problems with vitamin A toxicity are not always reversible." The Council for Responsible Nutrition, a group representing supplement makers, also warned parents not to give their children high doses of vitamin A. "While vitamin A plays an important role in supporting overall immune function, research hasn't established its effectiveness in preventing measles infection. CRN is concerned about reports of high-dose vitamin A being used inappropriately, especially in children," it said in a statement. Johnson said some parents may be following questionable advice from social media or health influencers. "It's coming out of the health and wellness ... influencer industry that downplays the importance of vaccines and tries to promote various spectacular cures like ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine or vitamin A," Hotez added. In a recent interview with Fox News, Kennedy promoted a treatment plan that includes vitamin A, a steroid, an antibiotic and cod liver oil, but doctors say there's little to no proof this works for measles. The measles outbreak has now affected at least 378 people in 17 states, from Texas and New Mexico to Vermont, New York and Washington. More information The Mayo Clinic has more on measles, including symptoms and causes. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
The Guardian
28-02-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Measles outbreak: how contagious is it and what are the symptoms?
Twenty-five years ago, the US eliminated the measles virus. Measles is extremely contagious, and sporadic cases and outbreaks are expected. But as of 28 February, 146 people in Texas – the majority of whom are unvaccinated children – have contracted measles. Twenty have been hospitalized, according to the Texas department of state health services. One 'school-aged child' who was not vaccinated died this week, according to a 26 February statement – the first measles death in the US since 2015. Nine other cases have been reported in a neighboring county in New Mexico, say state health officials. 'This is a significantly sized outbreak,' says Dr Adam Ratner, a pediatric infectious disease physician in New York City and author of the book Booster Shots: The Urgent Lessons of Measles and the Uncertain Future of Children's Health. The CDC defines an outbreak as three or more related cases; last year, a total of 285 cases were reported across 31 states and Washington DC. Here's everything to know about measles as the virus spreads. The last major US measles outbreak occurred in 2019, when nearly 1,300 people caught the virus. According to the CDC, this almost cost the US its elimination status. (Measles is considered eliminated when it hasn't spread in a region for 12 or more consecutive months.) Dr Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, says the latest case numbers are 'still the tip of the iceberg' and are on track to reach or surpass those of past outbreaks. That's largely due to declines in vaccination rates in the US and worldwide that have contributed to a fourfold rise in measles outbreaks from 2023 to 2024 alone. 'I think we're still on that trajectory,' Hotez says. 'I would imagine 2025 is going to be a pretty rough year for measles.' Measles is a respiratory virus that mostly affects children, but can also affect adults who were never infected or vaccinated against it, says Robert Bednarczyck, an epidemiologist and associate professor of global health at Emory University in Georgia. Measles is often lumped together with mumps and rubella because there's one vaccine, known as MMR, that protects against all three diseases. But they're each caused by different respiratory viruses. The measles virus lives in the nose and throat mucus of infected people. When they cough, sneeze or breathe, viral particles slingshot into the air, where they can linger for up to two hours. 'You don't even have to have direct or close contact with an infected individual' to get sick, says Hotez. This is why measles is one of the most contagious viruses we know of. According to the CDC, if one person has measles, up to 90% of people who are not immune and breathe the contaminated air or touch an infected surface will get sick. Unlike other respiratory bugs, it is not seasonal. A person infected with measles is contagious for about eight days, including the four days before a rash appears, and the four days after. This is problematic, says Ratner, because it means you can spread the virus without knowing it. You may not know you have measles right away because symptoms typically emerge one to two weeks after exposure. Around that time, you might develop a cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, and high fever, according to the CDC. At this point you might assume you have the flu, but in another two to three days you may find tiny white spots inside your mouth, Bednarczyck says, which 'is a clear giveaway' for measles. Three to five days in, you might develop the classic rash: red patches on the face that dot the hairline, then spread to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet, says the CDC. The darker your skin, the more likely you'll see small raised bumps in the same areas without discoloration. Although it looks painful, a measles rash usually isn't itchy. Overall, you might feel sick for about a week, says the World Health Organization, and the rash could take five to six days to fade away. If you suspect that you or your child has measles, call the doctor's office or hospital before you arrive, says Ratner, so they can reduce your exposure to others in the waiting room. Most people who catch measles recover with no lingering consequences, say experts. But complications can affect a relatively large number of people who get the virus; some are very serious. Sign up to Well Actually Practical advice, expert insights and answers to your questions about how to live a good life after newsletter promotion Ear infections, for example, occur in about one out of every 10 children with measles, according to the CDC. As many as one in 20 will get pneumonia, which is the most common cause of measles-related death in young kids. About one in every 1,000 children will develop brain swelling called encephalitis, which can cause deafness, convulsions or intellectual disability. Data show that about one to three of every 1,000 kids with measles will die from these complications. A fatal central nervous system disease called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis can happen to very few people about seven to 10 years after they recover from measles; the risk is higher for those who get measles before age two. Unvaccinated people, children younger than age five, adults over age 20, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant people face the greatest risks of measles complications, says the CDC. Even so, it's important to remember that anyone, regardless of their health, can get seriously ill and die from measles, says Ratner – especially considering there are no treatments for the virus. Some hospitalized people may receive vitamin A, which may reduce their risks of bad outcomes, says Ratner, but it's not a cure. Because measles is airborne, face masks can help protect against infection, experts say. But vaccination is by far the best way. Before the US measles vaccination program began in 1963, about 3 to 4 million people caught the virus, 48,000 were hospitalized, 1,000 developed encephalitis, and 400 to 500 died each year in the US, according to CDC data. There are two doses. The first, which children get aged 12 to 15 months, is about 93% effective, and the second, which kids get between ages four and six, is about 97% effective. That means roughly three out of every 100 people who are fully vaccinated still get measles after exposure to the virus, says the CDC. Still, the vaccine can lower the odds of severe disease and the likelihood of spreading it to others, says Ratner, including those who can't get vaccinated because they're too young or have weakened immune systems. And research suggests that the virus diminishes the antibodies you've acquired for other germs, says Bednarczyck, leaving you vulnerable to all sorts of infections, especially if you aren't vaccinated. The measles shot is safe, according to decades of research. One infamous 1998 study of 12 children suggested a link between MMR and autism; it was later retracted for 'scientific fraud'. Several papers have since proved that association wrong. If you are exposed to measles and have not been vaccinated or have only received one dose, you can receive a measles vaccine within 72 hours of exposure, says Ratner, which could prevent infection or reduce the chances you get really sick. Kids too young for vaccination and people considered high-risk for severe disease could receive an antibody treatment called immunoglobulin within six days of exposure via IV or a shot in their arm. Infection and vaccination against measles are both thought to offer lifelong immunity – that is, you can't get measles twice. But if you're unvaccinated and have been infected, says Ratner, you should roll up your sleeve anyway to protect against mumps and rubella. MMR contains a weakened version of the measles virus, which causes a harmless infection that helps people develop immunity. So some people shouldn't get the vaccine, says the CDC, including those who are pregnant, have a weakened immune system due to disease or treatment, or have a parent or sibling with a history of immune system problems. If you've been vaccinated, you don't have much to worry about. But overall, the CDC says measles is a concern for the US. Fewer children worldwide are getting their measles shots, fueled in part by Covid-related anti-vaccine rhetoric. This means infections could become more common as unvaccinated travelers spread the virus. 'Our control of measles is really a testament to the vaccine and our ability to use it,' says Bednarczyck, 'but we're potentially sitting right on the edge of where we might start seeing more widespread outbreaks.' From the 2019-20 to 2023-24 school year, vaccinations among US kindergartners dropped from 95% to just below 93%. It's a concerning trend, says Ratner, because we need at least 95% vaccination coverage to achieve herd immunity, which is when enough people are immune to measles to prevent significant spread. Within individual states, rates can be even lower; Idaho, for example, has a 80% vaccination rate.
