Maria Godoy

The other thing he's done that has puzzled public health experts I've talked to is he's focused on treatments like vitamin A rather than stressing vaccination. Wait, vitamin A?

The other thing he's done that has puzzled public health experts I've talked to is he's focused on treatments like vitamin A rather than stressing vaccination. Wait, vitamin A?

Okay, so this is not completely without a kernel of truth. Vitamin A does have a role in the treatment of measles in that there are studies dating back decades, usually from low and middle income countries, that show that when you give vitamin A to kids who are malnourished and deficient in vitamin A, it can reduce the risk of dying from measles.

Okay, so this is not completely without a kernel of truth. Vitamin A does have a role in the treatment of measles in that there are studies dating back decades, usually from low and middle income countries, that show that when you give vitamin A to kids who are malnourished and deficient in vitamin A, it can reduce the risk of dying from measles.

Okay, so this is not completely without a kernel of truth. Vitamin A does have a role in the treatment of measles in that there are studies dating back decades, usually from low and middle income countries, that show that when you give vitamin A to kids who are malnourished and deficient in vitamin A, it can reduce the risk of dying from measles.

And it can also help prevent complications like blindness from measles. So the American Academy of Pediatrics does recommend giving two doses of vitamin A to kids sick with measles to help prevent those complications. But that is not the same thing as saying that vitamin A prevents or protects you against measles. Exactly. Right. It can't do that.

And it can also help prevent complications like blindness from measles. So the American Academy of Pediatrics does recommend giving two doses of vitamin A to kids sick with measles to help prevent those complications. But that is not the same thing as saying that vitamin A prevents or protects you against measles. Exactly. Right. It can't do that.

And it can also help prevent complications like blindness from measles. So the American Academy of Pediatrics does recommend giving two doses of vitamin A to kids sick with measles to help prevent those complications. But that is not the same thing as saying that vitamin A prevents or protects you against measles. Exactly. Right. It can't do that.

But the concern here is that, you know, parents might hear that and think that. And in fact, there is misinformation going around online suggesting falsely that vitamin A can protect against measles. And, you know, there are concerns that parents might be giving kids vitamin A dosage long term to protect them against measles, which you can't do.

But the concern here is that, you know, parents might hear that and think that. And in fact, there is misinformation going around online suggesting falsely that vitamin A can protect against measles. And, you know, there are concerns that parents might be giving kids vitamin A dosage long term to protect them against measles, which you can't do.

But the concern here is that, you know, parents might hear that and think that. And in fact, there is misinformation going around online suggesting falsely that vitamin A can protect against measles. And, you know, there are concerns that parents might be giving kids vitamin A dosage long term to protect them against measles, which you can't do.

But it can actually be harmful because vitamin A builds up in your body and over time it can be toxic. Right.

But it can actually be harmful because vitamin A builds up in your body and over time it can be toxic. Right.

But it can actually be harmful because vitamin A builds up in your body and over time it can be toxic. Right.

That's absolutely false. The vaccine is very safe and highly effective. Again, two doses, 97 percent effective. Meanwhile, measles is still a dangerous virus. It can kill. You know, before we had vaccines, four to five hundred kids used to die in the U.S. each year from measles. And it can cause blindness, deafness, brain swelling. The virus can also have long-term effects.

That's absolutely false. The vaccine is very safe and highly effective. Again, two doses, 97 percent effective. Meanwhile, measles is still a dangerous virus. It can kill. You know, before we had vaccines, four to five hundred kids used to die in the U.S. each year from measles. And it can cause blindness, deafness, brain swelling. The virus can also have long-term effects.

That's absolutely false. The vaccine is very safe and highly effective. Again, two doses, 97 percent effective. Meanwhile, measles is still a dangerous virus. It can kill. You know, before we had vaccines, four to five hundred kids used to die in the U.S. each year from measles. And it can cause blindness, deafness, brain swelling. The virus can also have long-term effects.

So after a measles infection, to some extent, your immune system's memory can be erased, which means that pathogens your body used to know how to defeat, it no longer remembers how to defeat them. So you're not immune anymore. And this effect can last two to three years. I know. It's called immune amnesia. And it can even cause neurological problems years after infection.

So after a measles infection, to some extent, your immune system's memory can be erased, which means that pathogens your body used to know how to defeat, it no longer remembers how to defeat them. So you're not immune anymore. And this effect can last two to three years. I know. It's called immune amnesia. And it can even cause neurological problems years after infection.

So after a measles infection, to some extent, your immune system's memory can be erased, which means that pathogens your body used to know how to defeat, it no longer remembers how to defeat them. So you're not immune anymore. And this effect can last two to three years. I know. It's called immune amnesia. And it can even cause neurological problems years after infection.