Talk to Patients about Vitamin A and Measles

The recent measles outbreak is stirring up discussions about vitamin A for both prevention and treatment. Be ready to discuss this.

Vitamin A should be considered in the treatment of measles. Deficiency increases the risk for complications and death once infected. Plus, measles infection is known to deplete vitamin A levels. Because of this, high-dose vitamin A, at age-specific doses, is advised for kids infected with measles. But this should be given under the care of a healthcare provider.

Parents will also ask if they should give their child a vitamin A supplement to help prevent measles. Explain that vitamin A is not recommended for prevention of measles.  Most studies evaluating this have been conducted in countries where kids are at high risk for vitamin A deficiency. It’s not clear if it benefits kids who aren’t at risk for deficiency, such as in the US. There’s also concern that excessive doses and long-term use of vitamin A can cause liver damage. Because of this, continue to advise vaccination over vitamin A supplements for prevention.

Along with vitamin A, parents might also ask about cod liver oil. Advise that although there’s buzz around using cod liver oil as a source of vitamin A for both measles prevention and treatment, there isn’t any good data evaluating it for this condition. Tell parents to skip these supplements.

Stay tuned as this topic evolves. We’ll keep you updated as new data are released. Check out our updated monograph for more details.