Study Examines Public Perception of Measles Vaccines and Unproven Treatment Claims

Amid ongoing measles outbreaks across the United States, medical professionals are sounding alarms over the emergence of unproven treatment protocols being promoted as alternatives to vaccination. Public health officials remain adamant that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the most effective form of prevention against a disease that has no specific medical treatment once contracted.

Some healthcare providers in Texas have begun promoting a controversial treatment combination of budesonide, a steroid typically prescribed for asthma and Crohn’s disease, and clarithromycin, an antibiotic, as effective remedies for measles. However, leading medical experts emphasize there is no scientific evidence supporting these claims.

“Steroids like budesonide can actually suppress the immune system and should be avoided early in viral infections like measles,” said Dr. Paul Offit from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, one of several experts who have publicly refuted these treatment claims. The American Academy of Pediatrics has also warned that these unproven approaches are not only ineffective but potentially harmful.

This isn’t the first time budesonide has been incorrectly promoted as a viral treatment. Similar claims circulated during the COVID-19 pandemic, based on preliminary Oxford research showing symptom relief in mild cases but not demonstrating reduced hospitalization or mortality rates.

The situation has been complicated by social media amplification, including a post from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who characterized physicians using these treatments as “extraordinary healers.” His message claimed approximately 300 Texas children had been “successfully” treated with the budesonide-clarithromycin combination, though he later clarified that vaccines remain the best prevention method.

Medical authorities continue to stress that clarithromycin, as an antibiotic, has no effect on viruses like measles. Furthermore, its inappropriate use contributes to the growing public health crisis of antibiotic resistance. For secondary bacterial infections that sometimes accompany measles, healthcare providers typically recommend different antibiotics, often administered intravenously.

In Texas, hospitals have reported concerning cases of children admitted with both measles and vitamin A toxicity following online promotion of high-dose vitamin A therapy, despite no medical consensus supporting this approach for measles treatment. These cases highlight the real-world consequences when misinformation displaces evidence-based medicine.

Meanwhile, in Maine, public health officials are battling a different infection crisis alongside a wave of misinformation. An ongoing HIV outbreak in Penobscot County has resulted in 23 new cases since October 2023—a dramatic increase from the area’s historical average of two new diagnoses annually.

The outbreak primarily affects people who inject drugs and those experiencing homelessness. The Maine CDC has responded by expanding access to HIV testing, prevention services, and syringe service programs (SSPs)—community-based initiatives that provide clean needles and safe disposal options.

However, these evidence-based harm reduction efforts face public resistance fueled by misconceptions. Social media platforms have become breeding grounds for false claims that SSPs increase drug use and cause infectious disease outbreaks—assertions directly contradicted by scientific evidence.

A comprehensive 2022 systematic review published in the International Journal of Drug Policy confirmed that SSPs effectively prevent HIV transmission among people who inject drugs. The research found these programs reduce injection risk behaviors without increasing injection frequency.

Public health experts worry that persistent misinformation about both measles treatments and harm reduction strategies threatens to undermine critical public health initiatives at a time when communities are already struggling with disease outbreaks.

As these dual crises unfold, healthcare authorities continue emphasizing the importance of evidence-based approaches: vaccination for measles prevention and comprehensive harm reduction services for HIV prevention among vulnerable populations. The challenge remains convincing communities to trust established medical science over unverified claims that proliferate online and, increasingly, from some healthcare providers themselves.