{"id":27070,"date":"2025-05-02T19:33:51","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T19:33:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=27070"},"modified":"2025-05-02T20:23:22","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T20:23:22","slug":"rfk-jr-orders-search-for-new-measles-treatments-instead-of-urging-vaccination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=27070","title":{"rendered":"RFK Jr. Orders Search for New Measles Treatments Instead of Urging Vaccination"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><\/div>\n<p id=\"article-summary\" class=\"css-79rysd e1wiw3jv0\">Decades of research have turned up no miracle treatment for measles, but studies show the M.M.R. shot is 97 percent effective in preventing the disease.<\/p>\n<section class=\"meteredContent css-1r7ky0e\">\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\" data-testid=\"companionColumn-0\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">With the United States facing its <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/04\/22\/health\/measles-southwest-outbreak.html\" title>largest single measles outbreak<\/a> in 25 years, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will direct federal health agencies to explore potential new treatments for the disease, including vitamins, according to an H.H.S. spokesman. The decision is the latest in a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/04\/13\/health\/kennedy-vaccines-confidence-access.html\" title>series of actions<\/a> by the nation\u2019s top health official that experts fear will undermine public confidence in vaccines as an essential public health tool.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The announcement comes as Mr. Kennedy faces intense backlash for his handling of the outbreak. It has swept through large areas of the Southwest where vaccination rates are low, infecting hundreds and killing two young girls. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 930 cases nationwide, most of which are associated with the Southwest outbreak.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Critics have said Mr. Kennedy has focused too much on <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/04\/health\/texas-measles-outbreak-kennedy.html\" title>untested treatments<\/a> \u2014 such as cod liver oil supplements \u2014 and offered only <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/02\/health\/measles-vaccination-texas-kennedy.html\" title>muted support for<\/a> the measles vaccine, which studies show is 97 percent effective in preventing infection.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The decision to put more resources into potential treatments, rather than urging vaccination, could have grave consequences at the center of the outbreak.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"Dropzone-1\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\" data-testid=\"companionColumn-1\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cWe don\u2019t want to send the signal that you don\u2019t have to get vaccinated because there\u2019s just a way to get rid of it,\u201d said Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Brown University School of Public Health.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Scientists have already thoroughly studied various vitamins and medications as potential treatments for<span class=\"css-8l6xbc evw5hdy0\">  <\/span>measles, said Michael Osterholm an epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota.<\/p>\n<div class=\"css-kbghgg\">\n<div class=\"css-121kum4\">\n<div class=\"css-171quhb\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-asuuk5\">\n<div class=\"css-7axq9l\" data-testid=\"optimistic-truncator-noscript\">\n<div data-testid=\"optimistic-truncator-noscript-message\" class=\"css-6yo1no\">\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">We are having trouble retrieving the article content.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1dv1kvn\" id=\"optimistic-truncator-a11y\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.nytimes.com\/auth\/login?response_type=cookie&amp;client_id=vi&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F05%2F02%2Fhealth%2Fmeasles-treatments-vaccines-kennedy.html&amp;asset=opttrunc\">log into<\/a>\u00a0your Times account, or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F05%2F02%2Fhealth%2Fmeasles-treatments-vaccines-kennedy.html\">subscribe<\/a>\u00a0for all of The Times.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1g71tqy\">\n<div data-testid=\"optimistic-truncator-message\" class=\"css-6yo1no\">\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Thank you for your patience while we verify access.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Already a subscriber?\u00a0<a data-testid=\"log-in-link\" class=\"css-z5ryv4\" href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.nytimes.com\/auth\/login?response_type=cookie&amp;client_id=vi&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F05%2F02%2Fhealth%2Fmeasles-treatments-vaccines-kennedy.html&amp;asset=opttrunc\">Log in<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Want all of The Times?\u00a0<a data-testid=\"subscribe-link\" class=\"css-z5ryv4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F05%2F02%2Fhealth%2Fmeasles-treatments-vaccines-kennedy.html\">Subscribe<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Decades of research have turned up no miracle treatment for measles, but studies show the M.M.R. shot is 97 percent effective in preventing the disease.With the United States facing its largest single measles outbreak in 25 years, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will direct federal health agencies to explore potential new treatments for the disease, including vitamins, according to an H.H.S. spokesman. The decision is the latest in a series of actions by the nation\u2019s top health official that experts fear will undermine public confidence in vaccines as an essential public health tool.The announcement comes as Mr. Kennedy faces intense backlash for his handling of the outbreak. It has swept through large areas of the Southwest where vaccination rates are low, infecting hundreds and killing two young girls. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 930 cases nationwide, most of which are associated with the Southwest outbreak.Critics have said Mr. Kennedy has focused too much on untested treatments \u2014 such as cod liver oil supplements \u2014 and offered only muted support for the measles vaccine, which studies show is 97 percent effective in preventing infection.The decision to put more resources into potential treatments, rather than urging vaccination, could have grave consequences at the center of the outbreak.\u201cWe don\u2019t want to send the signal that you don\u2019t have to get vaccinated because there\u2019s just a way to get rid of it,\u201d said Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Brown University School of Public Health.Scientists have already thoroughly studied various vitamins and medications as potential treatments for measles, said Michael Osterholm an epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and\u00a0log into\u00a0your Times account, or\u00a0subscribe\u00a0for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber?\u00a0Log in.Want all of The Times?\u00a0Subscribe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27072,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27070"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27070\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27073,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27070\/revisions\/27073"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/27072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}