The alarming measles outbreak in the U.S. is prompting a rethink of treatment approaches beyond vaccination, with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. calling for a new measles therapy.
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Driven by the Department of Health and Human Services, a collaboration with academic institutions seeks to integrate innovative treatments using drugs, vitamins, and alternative methods.
The Department of Health and Human Services is on a mission to develop new treatments for measles, particularly significant amid the recent surge in cases across the U.S.
Measles has made a dramatic resurgence in 2025, with 935 cases recorded across 30 jurisdictions by May 1st.
This troubling trend has been largely confined to unvaccinated or vaccination-status-unknown populations.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is spearheading this initiative, endorsing a combination of existing drugs, vitamins, and other modalities to counter various diseases, including measles.
This effort aims to craft treatment protocols, conduct vital testing, and pursue new therapeutic approvals.
However, this approach comes with controversy as experts warn it might unwittingly detract from the well-established efficacy of the measles vaccine.
“Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ‘will be enlisting the entire agency to activate a scientific process to treat a host of diseases, including measles, with single or multiple existing drugs in combination with vitamins and other modalities,’” declared a HHS spokesperson.
The CDC maintains that vaccination remains the most effective preventive measure, standing at 97% effectiveness in preventing infections.
Nonetheless, the agency is bolstering efforts to develop treatments to support those who decline vaccination or are affected amid outbreaks.
Vitamin A, though not a vaccine substitute, is employed under medical supervision to aid in measles recovery.
Meanwhile, concerns of potential vaccine hesitancy arise.
RFK Jr orders a search for new measles treatments, like vitamins, amid the largest outbreak in 25 years.
Decades of research have turned up no miracle treatment but studies show the M.M.R. shot is 97 percent effective in preventing measles.https://t.co/fjACWxiJNm
— Trip Gabriel (@tripgabriel) May 2, 2025
Experts note that emphasizing therapeutic treatments over vaccines may inadvertently signal that opting out of vaccination is viable.
Already, there have been calls to ensure public confidence in the vaccine does not diminish amid these discussions.
Health Secretary Kennedy has acknowledged that some communities, like the Mennonites in Texas, cite religious objections to vaccinations.
He assured that officials are developing treatment worksheets to help manage outbreaks with various treatments, including budesonide and clarithromycin, though their efficacy remains debated.
