Dangerous doses

Most importantly, vitamin A does not prevent measles, and taking large or prolonged supplements without oversight from a doctor can be dangerous. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning excess amounts stay in the body and are not quickly flushed out in urine. With excessive consumption, vitamin A becomes toxic. Symptoms of vitamin A overdose included vomiting, headache, fatigue, joint and bone pain, blurry vision, and skin and hair problems. It can also lead to dangerously high pressure inside the skull that pushes on the brain, as well as liver damage, confusion, coma, and other problems, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

The AAP has been quick to try to get ahead of misinformation about vitamin A use amid the measles outbreak and Kennedy’s response.

“Vitamin A, at any dose, does not protect you from measles,” James Campbell, vice chair of AAP’s Committee on Infectious Diseases, said in a statement. "No one should take, and no parent should give to their child, vitamin A in hopes of preventing measles. It will not do that.”

Campbell instead stressed that vitamin A is a micronutrient, meaning only small amounts are needed to stay healthy. “Those small amounts are what is found in a healthy diet and in recommended doses of over-the-counter multivitamin supplements," Campbell said. “Larger doses, especially larger doses given over prolonged periods, are very dangerous.”

“In summary, MMR vaccine prevents measles. Vitamin A does not,” he said.

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