As a measles outbreak continues to spread in West Texas, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has emphasized the use of vitamin A, as well as treatments like the steroid budesonide, the antibiotic clarithromycin, and cod liver oil, rather than focusing on vaccination.

Medical experts warn that such messaging could undermine efforts to promote immunization, and misinformation about these treatments is already circulating online.

Since measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, many doctors have never encountered the disease. There are no antiviral medications specifically designed to cure measles.

“Vitamin A is not a substitute for vaccination,” said Dr. Megan Ranney, dean of the Yale School of Public Health. While vitamin A plays a crucial role in vision and immunity, the World Health Organization recommends it primarily for individuals diagnosed with measles, particularly those with severe cases. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also advises vitamin A supplementation for children hospitalized with severe measles, prescribing specific doses based on age.

In a Fox News opinion piece published Sunday, Kennedy cited studies suggesting that vitamin A can significantly reduce measles mortality. Speaking to Fox News on Tuesday, he mentioned the CDC’s presence in West Texas and discussed the use of cod liver oil, which is rich in vitamins A and D. However, experts point out that vitamin A is most beneficial for individuals with a specific deficiency, a condition more common in low-income countries.

Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, acknowledged that Kennedy's statements contain valid information but are presented “out of context.” “Vitamin A supplementation can be lifesaving in cases of vitamin A deficiency,” he said. However, Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, emphasized that the evidence for vitamin A's effectiveness in measles cases within the U.S. is weak.

“Vitamin A is not a major factor in the current West Texas measles outbreak. Focusing on it distracts from what truly matters—vaccinating our children,” Hotez said. Beyond CDC guidelines for vitamin A, there is no established treatment protocol for measles in the U.S. One of the treatments Kennedy referenced, clarithromycin, is sometimes used to prevent secondary bacterial infections, such as pneumonia, but supporting evidence is limited. Similarly, the steroid budesonide has various medical applications, but its role in measles treatment is unclear.

Dr. Christina Johns, a pediatric emergency physician at PM Pediatrics in Annapolis, Maryland, cautioned against misinterpreting supportive care as a cure. “It’s important to differentiate between supportive measures for measles and an actual treatment. There is no cure for measles,” she said.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has recently addressed misinformation suggesting that vitamin A can prevent measles. Dr. Leslie Motheral, a pediatrician in Lubbock, Texas, warned, “Vitamin A is only recommended for hospitalized patients at specific doses. I worry that some parents are avoiding vaccination and instead giving their children excessive amounts of vitamin A, which can be dangerous.”

Excess vitamin A can lead to toxicity, causing nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, liver damage, and even brain damage.

As of Tuesday, the Texas Department of Health Services reported 159 measles cases, primarily in Gaines County, where many residents—including a Mennonite community—remain unvaccinated. One unvaccinated child has died, and experts believe the actual case count is much higher than reported.

Some Texas residents have opted for vaccination, a decision experts attribute to access to accurate information. Those choosing to get immunized are relying on guidance from medical and public health professionals rather than misinformation from social media, according to Dr. Katherine Wells, director of Lubbock Public Health, and Dr. Phil Huang, director of health and human services in Dallas County.

Kennedy, who has a history of anti-vaccine advocacy, has made little mention of vaccination. In his Fox News opinion piece, he did not explicitly endorse the measles vaccine, instead calling vaccination a “personal choice” while acknowledging its role in “community immunity.”

In an interview on Tuesday, Kennedy said, “In highly unvaccinated communities like the Mennonites, we recommend vaccination, but we also recognize the deep mistrust of vaccines.”