The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), a U.S. trade association representing dietary supplement and nutritional supplement manufacturers, issued a statement warning parents against the unwarranted use of vitamin A to prevent measles in children.
Severe cases of measles can cause vitamin A deficiency, especially when the body’s initial stores are low, and in these cases it is added to treatment as an adjunctive therapy. The effectiveness of this approach is generally modest and questionable in developed countries where children are relatively well-nourished. However, the idea of a preventive effect of this vitamin has gained popularity among many parents, and is supported by current US health officials as the country’s measles cases have risen sharply. This has led to increasing reports of overdoses and toxic effects of vitamin A in children, including liver damage. Most of these children are not vaccinated against the infection.
In response to this trend, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) issued a statement reminding that vitamin A is an essential nutrient needed for growth, vision, reproduction, and immunity, but there is no scientific evidence that it can prevent measles. And its improper use can have dangerous consequences. This fat-soluble vitamin accumulates in the liver when taken in excess, producing toxic effects, including life-threatening ones.
The upper tolerance limit for vitamin A in the form of food supplements is 3000 micrograms per day for adults and significantly less for children depending on their age. Exceeding the recommended doses in healthy people is unjustified and dangerous. In some cases, to compensate for an existing vitamin A deficiency confirmed by laboratory tests, including measles, it is possible to prescribe higher doses, but only by a doctor, under supervision and for a short time.
CRN Senior Vice President Andrea Wong emphasized that the decision to take and prescribe any vitamin supplements to children, especially in high doses, should be informed and taken only after consultation with a medical professional. In the prevention of measles, it is necessary to rely on means with proven effectiveness, which include vaccination - taking vitamin A cannot replace it. Measles is a highly contagious infection that can lead to severe complications, and its treatment should be carried out only under the supervision and as prescribed by a doctor.
Measles problems are not limited to the United States. The World Health Organization and UNICEF recently reported that measles cases in the WHO European Region have doubled to their highest level since 1997. At the same time, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported a 13-fold increase in cases in the European Union and the European Economic Area in a year.