As more kids get sick with Measles across the United States, parents are understandably trying to find the best ways to treat and protect their children. During outbreaks, it is normal to hear a lot of rumors about what to do when your family is affected and it can quickly get confusing and overwhelming. You may have heard that Vitamin A is a treatment for measles….so what’s that all about? First, it’s important to say outright that there is no treatment for measles and the only prevention is through vaccination. When kids do get sick with measles, we help them with their symptoms until they get better, which is the only form of care that is available.
Where does the vitamin A stuff come in then? Well, vitamin A is an important supplement and it can be beneficial to children in some ways. When kids don’t get enough to eat or their food isn’t nutritious enough, their bodies don’t grow the way they should and it can make it hard for them to fight off all sorts of diseases. This is a big problem in places where access to food and other resources is challenging, so we usually encourage vitamin A supplementation in some places to help kids grow stronger to fight off illnesses.
You’re probably asking…”.what about the research I saw saying vitamin A does help with measles?” The key thing to consider is that most of that research has been done in places where kids already need vitamin A (like Africa) because they don’t have enough nutritious food. In these cases, vitamin A can help them put up a better fight, but it still doesn’t directly prevent them from getting sick with measles or stop them from dying. The United States doesn’t have this vitamin A problem like other parts of the world, which means that giving kids Vitamin A won’t really have the same effect…most kids are already growing up big and strong! If your child gets measles, the best thing you can do is work with a doctor to treat their symptoms until they get better. In cases where you think your child might need vitamin A supplements after they got measles, then vitamin A should only be provided under supervision of a doctor if necessary as a part of a more comprehensive care program.
“Even if vitamin A isn’t the answer, I still think letting my kids get measles is a healthier alternative to vaccines….I hear measles parties are a popular idea!”. It can be tempting to “rip off the bandaid” with things like this, but forcing your kid to be exposed to something like measles can be a slippery slope. You may have heard about “chickenpox parties” before the chickenpox vaccine was widely available and think, why not do the same for measles? Well, chickenpox can actually be very serious in some children and the thing is….measles can be much worse. For starters, Measles is one of the most contagious diseases we know about, meaning it will spread much more quickly and widely than chickenpox. It is also very difficult to know who will develop serious conditions from measles even when they’re healthy. This is a big concern for children under 5 years old which may be at higher risk of going to the hospital or even dying after getting measles. Since there is no treatment for measles, it means playing a pretty high stakes game of chance with your child’s health and the health of others around you that may not be as healthy as you are. Is there a solution? Thankfully, yes! Unlike the time when chickenpox parties were popular, we already have a very safe and proven tool – vaccines are the only sure fire way to protect your family against measles and they are available to pretty much everyone. If you feel skeptical about all the evidence suggesting the measles vaccine is the best and safest option, ask yourself, why is measles only popping up again now that folks have stopped getting their kids vaccinated?