The Claim:
Our burgeoning measles outbreaks have spread the old rumor that Vitamin A prevents measles and that sanitation and nutrition are responsible for bringing down measles deaths before we had a vaccine to prevent it.
The Facts:
While measles deaths can be prevented with better access to medical care and nutrition, two doses of MMR vaccine can prevent around 98% of measles cases. Before the measles vaccine in 1964, nearly all children got measles before the age of 15. And even then, 500-600 children died annually.
While sanitation is an important part of public health, it has very little impact on measles, a respiratory virus so contagious that it can remain airborne for up to 2 hours after an infected person leaves the area and infect 9 out of 10 susceptible people.
Vitamin A plays an important role in the immune system, but its levels can drop during an infection, making it harder for the body to absorb and use. If someone has measles, a doctor may prescribe Vitamin A to help stabilize these levels. However, taking too much Vitamin A when it’s not needed won’t provide any benefits and can actually be dangerous.