As measles cases continue to spread in several US, the spotlight is based on prevention of highly contagious diseases.
Vaccines are widely regarded as the first line of defense, but some experts have suggested that nutrition plays a role in reducing the severity of the disease.
HHS Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. discussed the topic in a recent exclusive interview with Dr. Marc Siegel, a senior medical analyst and professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News.
Check out our full interview with the doctor. Marc Siegel and RFK Jr. Fox Nation
“We need to understand the relationship between health and chronic disease,” RFK told Siegel.
As measles cases continue to spread in several US, the spotlight is based on prevention of highly contagious diseases. (istock)
“If you’re healthy, in modern times it’s almost impossible to be killed by infectious diseases because you have access to nutrition and medicine. It’s a good science that people can make reasonable choices about all of these things.”
In an interview, RFK noted that over 200 measles have been reported in Texas in the current outbreak – malnutrition may be a factor.
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“The doctors and community leaders I talk to on the ground report that people who are sick are people. [malnourished]He said.
“There’s a lot of poverty in that area. [which] RFK added.
In 1963, before the vaccine was introduced, between 400 and 500 people died of measles each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The doctors and community leaders I talk to on the ground report that people who are sick are people. [malnourished]”Rdk Jr. said. (istock)
“Almost all of them were malnourished children,” RFK said. “Measles is a very, very fatal disease in foreign and developed countries where malnutrition is low.”
“What Americans can do is keep themselves healthy. It’s very difficult for measles to kill healthy and nourished people.”
“We see a correlation between people who get injured by measles and those who are not nutritional.”
The HHS secretary told Siegel.
“We need to eat delicious food. We need whole food. We need plenty of exercise,” he said.
“We see a correlation between people who get injured with measles and those who don’t have a poor nutritional or have a good exercise regimen.”
Infectious disease expert weight
Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of San Francisco biotechnology company Centivax, agreed that measles are likely to have a serious impact on children in highly malnourished developing countries.
“Historically, less than 1% of American children have died from measles, but the Pan American Health Organization reports that in some developing countries 10% of measles have died from measles, with 25% to 50% in a study of under-malnourished African infants,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Historically, fewer than 1% of American children have died from measles, while the Pan American Health Agency reports that in some developing countries 10% have died from measles from drugs.” (Getty Images)
Lack of quality medical care in many areas in developing countries also contributes to the severity of the disease, Granville noted.
“Best nutrition is important for American children, but it’s unlikely to make a difference when it comes to measles infection or severity. 90% of well-raised, but unvaccinated American children exposed to measles will be infected, about 20% of those children will be hospitalized, and 0.1% of those children will die.”
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Dr. Trish Perl, an infectious disease expert at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, said malnutrition can damage some of the immune system’s responses to many infectious diseases, but in the case of measles, the answer is “complicated.”
“Malnutrition, for example, can reduce the robustness of the response to an MMR vaccine,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“Vaccinations are still effective, but in some cases additional doses may be required.”
Studies show that children who are malnourished with vitamin A deficiency and live in low- and middle-income countries suffer from more serious illnesses with measles infection, with increased risk of death and blindness, and take longer to improve.
The CDC recommends that adults and teens be up to date with MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccinations at one or two doses, depending on the individual risk factors. (istock)
“There is no treatment for measles beyond supportive care,” she said. “However, in low- and middle-income countries with mortality rates above 1%, the World Health Organization recommends vitamin A (two doses) to reduce the severity of measles and prevent complications.”
The problem is less common in the US, where vitamin A deficiency is “very rare,” doctors added.
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According to PERL, there was no formal study on whether vitamin A was administered to children with measles in the United States or other high-income countries to prevent complications.
However, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children hospitalized with severe measles receive two doses of vitamin A supervised by their health care provider.
Dr. Jonathan Jennings, a board-certified physician at the Manhattan Medical Office, also said several studies have found that nutrition can “have a major impact” on clinical courses for children infected with the measles virus.
“The risk of fatal outcomes increases in children who are already malnourished before they become infected,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“Infection is known to worsen nutritional status and affects a child’s immune system and ability to recover.”
Jennings recommends a balanced diet with a variety of colorful fruits, vegetables, proteins and healthy fats as a way to prevent complications from the virus.
Experts recommended a balanced diet that includes a variety of colorful fruits, vegetables, proteins and healthy fats as a way to prevent complications from the virus. (istock)
“Foods containing vitamin A, such as carrots, spinach and dairy products, are especially useful,” he said.
“Many studies have identified vitamin A supplementation as a way to prevent eye damage, a complication of measles infection.”
Nutrition is not a replacement for vaccines, experts say
While proper nutrition is important to prevent many chronic health conditions, Perl emphasized that vaccinations are a “documented way” to prevent measles infection and “the most important action that anyone can take.”
“Individuals should be vaccinated whether they are malnourished or not.”
“The vaccine has been in use since 1963 and is considered very safe,” she said.
“The only way to prevent measles is to prevent individuals from being vaccinated, regardless of whether they are malnourished or not.”
School meals frown when Maha advocates encourage “various choices for lunch lines.”
RFK also recognized the importance of vaccines, noting that HHS “ensures that anyone who wants a vaccine can get it.”
“The measles vaccine protects the community,” he told Dr. Siegel. “We recommend that people in this country get the vaccine… [and] I also respect their personal choices. ”
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Jennings also reiterated the importance of vaccines.
“The most effective way for you and your family to protect and block measles is to vaccinate everyone from the virus,” he said.
The CDC recommends that adults and teens be up to date with MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccinations at one or two doses, depending on the individual risk factors.
