As the United States continues to grapple with bird flu and measles outbreaks, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has made some unconventional remarks on the remedies for measles.
As of March 7, 2025, Texas and New Mexico have reported 208 confirmed cases associated with this measles outbreak. Till now, two deaths have been reported.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned that more cases are expected as this outbreak continues to expand rapidly.
Amid the rising cases, Kennedy said doctors were seeing “very, very good results” from treating the illness with a steroid called budesonide, an antibiotic called clarithromycin, and cod liver oil, a supplement high in vitamins A and D.
Recently, he urged people to get vaccinated against measles while suggesting that measles vaccine injuries were more common than known, contrary to extensive research. In an interview with Fox News, Kennedy offered conflicting public health messages.
Vaccines are “recommended” for West Texans, but the risks of immunization have been underestimated, he said. Kennedy claimed that it was “very difficult” for measles to kill a healthy person and that malnutrition played a role in the Texas outbreak, New York Times reported.
According to the CDC, for every thousand people infected with measles in the United States, the virus kills one to three. One study estimated that without vaccination today there would be 400,000 hospitalizations and 1,800 deaths annually.
Dr. Sean O’Leary, chair of the infectious disease committee at the American Academy of Pediatrics, as quoted by New York Times, said that there is no credible evidence that poor eating habits and exercise routines make a child more prone to measles complications.
“None of those are treatments for measles,” Tina Tan, MD, a professor of pediatrics at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University and a Pediatric Infectious Diseases attending at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, told Health. “Measles is a virus, and there are no antivirals that are licensed for treatment of measles.”
Can cod liver oil and vitamin A protect you against measles?
Cod liver oil is a supplement from cod fish that’s rich in vitamin A, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids. It is usually taken to help with health conditions like arthritis and depression.
Several studies suggest that cod liver oil can improve heart health and boost muscle recovery after a workout. However, this supplement is unlikely to work against measles.
“It’s a nutritional supplement that may have high levels of vitamins and other nutrients that we need, but it certainly has not been used for measles treatment,” Tuhina Joseph, DO, pediatric infectious disease physician at Tufts Medical Center, told Health.
In the U.S., where vitamin A deficiency is rare, the CDC only recommends vitamin A for young children with severe measles cases, administered under physician supervision, Health reported.
Budesonide for Measles
Budesonide is a steroid medication that treats asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other conditions. It is usually prescribed to reduce inflammation in the body.
Experts emphasise that the drug is unlikely to have an benefit on measles patients. Steroids may even do more harm than good for measles patients, Health reported. Budesonide also has a host of potential side effects, such as vomiting, rash, joint and muscle pain, and more.
Clarithromycin for Measles
Clarithromycin is used to treat bacterial infections in many different parts of the body. It can be indicated to treat strep throat, pneumonia, skin infections, H. pylori infection, and Lyme disease, among others.
Measles is a viral infection. Doctors often warn against the use of antibiotics to treat viral infection. Using antibiotics without prescription may lead to antibiotic resistance and antibiotic-resistant infections which can be extremely harmful.
What can you do to protect yourself from measles?
There is no specific treatment for measles. The best protection against the virus is the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. If someone does catch measles, experts recommended staying hydrated and isolation.