RFK Junior attends a funeral of a measles victim, subsequently advocates for questionable medical remedy.
The ongoing measles outbreak in the United States continues to surge, with the case toll already surpassing last year's and showing signs of reaching the high-water mark seen since the virus was locally eliminated in 2000.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal vaccine skeptic, has suggested aerosolized budesonide, clarithromycin, and cod liver oil (rich in vitamin A) as "very effective" treatments for measles. However, public health experts and official sources have stated that these treatments have not been proven to prevent or treat measles effectively.
There is no credible scientific evidence that aerosolized budesonide and clarithromycin benefit measles patients. Vitamin A is sometimes used to reduce complications in children with vitamin A deficiency, but it is not a cure or primary treatment, and claims that it can prevent measles are unfounded.
The medically endorsed and evidence-based method to prevent measles is vaccination, notably with the MMR vaccine, which is about 97% effective with two doses. Unfortunately, RFK Jr., as US Health Secretary, has mixed messaging on vaccines and treatments, contributing to confusion during the ongoing measles outbreak.
The first fatal case reported in Texas last month and Hildebrand's death were both among unvaccinated individuals with no pre-existing health conditions. Isolated, travel-related cases have been reported in over a dozen other states. More than 600 cases of measles have been reported in the US, with outbreaks in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and possibly Kansas being connected to each other.
Steroids are known to weaken people's immune systems, and there isn't strong enough evidence supporting the standard use of steroids for measles treatment, including brain swelling complications. Antibiotics can be used to treat secondary bacterial infections that could emerge from measles, but they cannot directly treat viral infections.
The Texas Department of Health and Human Services reported a second death from the measles outbreak in Texas on Saturday night. This was an eight-year-old girl named Daisy Hildebrand who suffered from measles pulmonary failure. Some children in the region given vitamin A for their measles have developed vitamin A toxicity as a result, according to doctors.
RFK Jr. met with doctors Richard Bartlett and Ben Edwards, who claim to have treated and healed 300 Mennonite children using a combination of aerosolized budesonide and clarithromycin. A 2023 study failed to find that steroids were associated with better outcomes during a 2017 measles outbreak in Italy.
The promotion of unconventional treatments for measles by RFK Jr. could potentially endanger more children suffering from the disease. Vaccination remains the primary and scientifically validated prevention method.
[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Measles. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/measles/index.html [2] Texas Department of State Health Services. (2023). Measles. Retrieved from https://www.dshs.texas.gov/idcu/disease/measles/index.aspx [3] National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (2023). Measles. Retrieved from https://www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/measles [4] World Health Organization. (2023). Measles. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles
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