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The vaccination debate over measles
As cases of measles continue to rise across the US, public health officials want people to get vaccinated to prevent the spread of the highly contagious viral infection. But in a recent interview with FOX News, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says health officials in Texas, the location of a measles outbreak, are seeing very good results with patients who are using treatments like cod liver oil for those who have been infected.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Across the US, medical professionals are encouraging people to get vaccinated as cases of measles soar.
What they're saying:
But some believe information about treatment options delivered by the current Health and Human Services Secretary may lead to vaccine hesitation.
As cases of measles continue to rise across the US, public health officials want people to get vaccinated to prevent the spread of the highly contagious viral infection.
The other side:
But in a recent interview with FOX News, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says health officials in Texas, the location of a measles outbreak, are seeing very good results with patients who are using treatments like cod liver oil for those who have been infected.
"They have treated most of the patients, actually 108 patients in the last 48 hours, and they’re getting very, very good results they report from budesonide, which is a steroid, a 30-year-old steroid, clarithromycin, and also cod liver oil, which has high concentrations of vitamin A," he said.
Some Michiganders say they don't trust the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to keep them safe.
Dig deeper:
On the Health and Human Services website, Kennedy posted a statement in which he wrote:
"The decision to vaccinate is a personal one. Vaccines not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons."
Some medical experts have been critical regarding information about treatment options for measles when they believe the focus should be prevention, which means getting the vaccine.
What's next:
FOX 2 reached out to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for an interview, but instead, we were sent a statement:
"The best way to protect against measles is to get the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Two doses of MMR vaccine are 97% effective against measles."
But the tug of war over whether to vaccinate or not to vaccinate continues.
The Source: FOX 2 used information from the Health and Human Services website and interviews from FOX News.