RFK Jr. Orders Seek for New Measles Remedies As an alternative of Urging Vaccination

With the US going through its largest single measles outbreak in 25 years, Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will direct federal well being companies to discover potential new therapies for the illness, together with nutritional vitamins, in line with an H.H.S. spokesman. The choice is the most recent in a collection of actions by the nation’s high well being official that consultants worry will undermine public confidence in vaccines as a vital public well being software.

The announcement comes as Mr. Kennedy faces intense backlash for his dealing with of the outbreak. It has swept by way of giant areas of the Southwest the place vaccination charges are low, infecting a whole bunch and killing two younger ladies. On Friday, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention reported greater than 930 circumstances nationwide, most of that are related to the Southwest outbreak.

Critics have stated Mr. Kennedy has centered an excessive amount of on untested therapies — similar to cod liver oil dietary supplements — and provided solely muted help for the measles vaccine, which research present is 97 % efficient in stopping an infection.

The choice to place extra sources into potential therapies, moderately than urging vaccination, may have grave penalties on the middle of the outbreak.

“We don’t wish to ship the sign that you simply don’t need to get vaccinated as a result of there’s only a strategy to eliminate it,” stated Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist on the Brown College College of Public Well being.

Scientists have already completely studied numerous nutritional vitamins and medicines as potential therapies for measles, stated Michael Osterholm an epidemiologist on the College of Minnesota.