Lubbock experts advise against home remedies as a solution to the measles
LUBBOCK, Texas — The measles outbreak in Texas has led to a rise in confirmed cases, reaching 124, and the Lubbock health department reported at least 67 people getting the MMR vaccine at their drive-up clinic; however, there were posts floating around online highlighting how Vitamin A could treat the measles, which health experts advised against. One of those experts was Chris Hobart with Highland Pharmacy who addressed the posts.
“They’re all false unfortunately. You need to go to your doctor if you suspect you’ve been infected. This is the most contagious virus that we know of so any of those home remedies they’re not going to be effective,” Hobart said.
Covenant Health’s Central Division Director of Pharmacy, Weston Wells, agreed that Vitamin A was not a solution.
“Your home remedies are not well supported and may not treat or cure your illness, and so I think that’s the first piece is you may get better whether or not that’s the home remedy that does that, that’s hard to know,” Wells said. “The other side is depending on how much you’re taking; you may cause some other detrimental effects to you. So, what you don’t want to do is take anything that causes you to get worse.”
Both stressed how effective the MMR vaccine was at preventing the measles, and how safe it was for people.
“You’re not going to get infected from the measles vaccine if you get it, but the two doses right now which are usually given a lor younger in life, 97% effective at preventing you from ever getting measles, and those are for life. So, if you got them as a kid, you’re protected now,” Hobart said.
Lubbock Public Health is having vaccine drive-up clinics through Thursday, and again on Saturday and Sunday.
