One local health expert is sounding the alarm about potential misinformation spreading amid a deadly measles outbreak in Texas and 21 other states.
In February, an outbreak in Gaines County occurred "among unvaccinated school-aged children," according to Texas Health and Human Services. Since the initial 49 cases, the disease has quickly spread beyond the county and into neighboring states and cities.
As of April 7, there are 480 confirmed cases in Texas alone.
On Sunday, a second school-aged child in West Texas died from a measles-related illness, a hospital spokesperson confirmed. The child’s death marks the third measles-related fatality this year. All three individuals who died were unvaccinated.
"The measles basically feeds on unvaccinated children and unvaccinated adults," said Dr. James Mobley, health authority for San Patricio County. "Of course, if an adult catches measles, it’s much more serious, and about 1 in 4 to 1 in 5 children with measles will be hospitalized."
While the Coastal Bend has yet to report any cases, Mobley said it’s “very likely” to appear in the region in the future.
A study by the Texas Department of State Health Services found that no schools in Nueces County exceed 10% immunization exemptions. In contrast, the three school districts in Gaines County combined have a total exemption rate of 63.54% as of the 2023–24 academic year.
Mobley and other health experts are raising concerns about misinformation surrounding the disease and its treatment. In March, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote an opinion piece for Fox News about using vitamin A to combat measles.
"Studies have found that vitamin A can dramatically reduce measles mortality," Kennedy wrote.
In response, Mobley told KRIS 6, "Like all these things, usually there’s a basis in fact — and in this case, there is some information."
“Vitamin A, in appropriate doses — I emphasize appropriate doses — can mitigate a measles infection. Vitamin A will not prevent measles,” he said.
“If a child has measles, two doses of vitamin A should be given. But it needs to be the correct dosage, because you can also have vitamin A toxicity. Someone sees the word ‘vitamin A,’ starts stocking up on it, and then we see toxicity — symptoms like headaches, vomiting and nausea.”
Mobley said symptoms of vitamin A toxicity can last up to a month.
He also emphasized the importance of the MMR vaccine and eligibility guidelines.
“The MMR vaccine is appropriate at 12 to 15 months, with a second dose at 4 to 5 years,” he said.
We do have a kind of a special dispensation. If a person is exposed or in an outbreak, to begin as early as 6 months, but that would like be if a person was in class with a child that had measles, and they're not yet 14 months old, then once again the healthcare providers can make a special exception in that case and go ahead and give an early dose, but they still need to get the other doses later on it doesn't replace that.
So we do have a plan in place, but it's only if there's actually been a measles exposure to the child below 6 months we there's just nothing we can do, although parental immunizations do help the child in that case there there is some protection up through 6 months through the mother.
Below 6 months, it just doesn't work. We could give it, it wouldn't have a side effect or anything, but it really wouldn't give protection.
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