“Health experts wary as US health secretary fails to endorse effective vaccines and instead calls them a ‘personal choice’” The Guardian
In an opinion piece written for FOX, Kennedy responded to a measles outbreak in Texas, which (so far) resulted in the first American measles death in nearly a decade, discussing the benefits of “good nutrition” and vitamin A – but did not explicitly recommend highly effective vaccines.
According to The Guardian, “At least 146 people have been sickened in Texas, primarily in unvaccinated communities in the South Plains region. More than 20 people have been hospitalized, and an unvaccinated school-aged child died – the first American measles death since April 2015.”
According to Dr. Sue Kressly, the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, “relying on vitamin A instead of the vaccine is not only dangerous and ineffective, but it puts children at serious risk,” the Washington Post reported. The cause for concern stems from the highly infectious nature of measles. The infection is known to kill one in three people for every 1,000 infected individuals.
It also causes severe brain swelling, called encephalitis, in one in 1,000 cases. In general, the disease also causes a plethora of other unpleasant symptoms such as rashes, fever, runny nose, and red and watery eyes.
It is noted that Vitamin A can help from getting measles as it serves as a preventative purpose, and protecting the immune system. It’s questionable whether or not it helps measles in developed countries where vitamin A deficiencies are rare. It has helped in war torn countries where babies are immunocompromised.
