I’ve received hundreds of messages from family, friends, and clients lately. My inbox is flooded with questions about how to protect against the recent measles outbreaks. Parents are receiving school notices about measles outbreaks and their dangers, and people in our community are worried about how to support their kids in case they contract this pathogen.
This question also came up during my recent live interview with Dr. Nguyen Phan. Please watch here to hear about measles outbreaks from a doctor’s perspective.
Measles Outbreaks and How to Handle Them
First of all, fear sells, and fear works. When people are scared, they do things they might not do otherwise. How you word things is critical to how people respond, and the media is rife with sensationalizing headlines that only often depict only a part of the whole problem.
A friend of mine received the letter below from her children’s school (certain words have been removed to maintain privacy). Many families received letters like this during the recent measles outbreaks. Do you notice how the letter does little more than alert parents and then share only the most basic information about the outbreaks and what can be done to protect health?
Important information related to increased global measles activity
Dear parents/guardians,
As we approach March break, [REMOVED] Public Health would like to alert families to the global rise in measles and recommend that anyone planning to travel ensures they and their families are protected against measles.
The measles virus is easily spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. An individual is susceptible if they have not received two doses of the measles-containing vaccine (MMR or MMRV) or if they have not had measles in the past. Measles symptoms usually include fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, and a rash that starts on the face and spreads over the body and can cause serious complications. If you suspect you may have contracted measles, wear a well-fitting medical mask, limit contact with others, and seek medical attention as needed.
Parents/guardians are responsible for reporting their child’s immunizations to Public Health and can securely and easily update their child’s immunization record online using the province’s Immunization [REMOVED] portal, accessible through the [REMOVED] Report Your Immunizations webpage.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership and collaboration in keeping our school communities Safe. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable March break.
[REMOVED]
A letter like this would cause most parents to panic. To help you navigate the recent measles outbreaks and handle them from an empowered place instead of a fear-based place, let’s discuss measles and how to support you and your child through this illness. I want to leave you feeling empowered about handling your child’s health, beyond the basics covered in the letter above.
What is Measles?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) “measles is an acute viral disease, characterized by fever, cough, coryza and conjunctivitis, followed by a maculopapular rash beginning on the face and spreading cephalocaudally and centrifugally”.
In plain English, the coryza are the nasal membranes, which is a stuffy nose; conjunctivitis is the medical name for pink eye, and the maculopapular rash is a rash that is covered with small bumps and can be itchy.
In 1962, the CDC said that measles has low fatality. The person who said this was a chief epidemiologist at the CDC for over 20 years.
According to the AAP, measles can also cause complications, including ear infection (7% chance), lung inflammation (6% chance), barking, croupy cough (percentage unavailable), or diarrhea (8% chance).
Here is how you could flip it: There is a 93% chance of no ear infection, 94% chance of no lung inflammation, and 92% chance of no diarrhea. So, in short, for the vast majority of children, measles is mostly just a rash.
How Measles Outbreaks Spread
According to the American Centers for Disease Control (CDC), measles spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left the room. It is a highly contagious virus.
To help with prevention, it’s important to encourage and teach your kids to practice good hygiene tips:
- Wash your hands with soap and water between activities like eating meals and snacks, playing with other kids, school, and being in crowded places
- Carry an alcohol sanitizing spray for when you don’t have easy access to soap and water
- Use an alcohol wipe to clean public toilet seats, and use toilet seat covers (they can be found here)
- Consider wearing a mask in crowded spaces or while traveling
- Spray silver drops in the eyes, nose, and mouth every time you leave home
Top Foods to Help Against Measles Outbreaks
If you are a parent receiving school letters like the one I shared above or you live in an area with measles outbreaks, it is really important to pay attention to the foods and nutrients your child receives in their daily diet. Many healing foods can strengthen the immune system and are really helpful to include in the family’s diets.
- Garlic is a powerful antibiotic and antiviral that is helpful for immune support. Some ideas I used to get my kids to eat garlic are to crush a quarter or half clove into a spoon of raw honey or maple syrup or blend a small clove in 8 ounces of orange juice. As shared by globally respected health author Anthony William on his blog: “One raw crushed clove of garlic contains the antibiotic equivalent of 100,000 units of penicillin and has been proven to be more effective than both penicillin and tetracycline in suppressing certain types of disease-carrying agents.”
- Elderberries are an amazing immune booster. Anthony William writes: “[Elderberries] contain special proteins and bioflavonoids that have the ability to destroy viruses on contact that infect cells in the body. Elderberries also are known to have the ability to significantly enhance immune function by boosting the production of cytokines in the body.” You can make your elderberry syrup at home or use my favorite elderberry product, SOOTHWISE, by Vimergy. This tastes great and is a powerful immune support.
- Bring in more fresh fruits and leafy greens for your kiddos. Fruits are very antiviral.
- Leafy greens can be given to kids in the form of green juice. One of my favorite green juices is kale, apple, cucumber, lime, and celery. My kids also loved pineapple, cucumber, and parsley juice.
Orange juice with some Vitamin C mixed into it is a secret sauce way to boost immunity. The orange juice provides a delivery mechanism for the vitamin C that goes deeper than just taking it on its own. - Mango and spinach smoothies also make a great immune-boosting drink at this time.
- Zinc is super important for kids as it is used in thousands of immune processes. Top up your kiddos’ zinc reserves by including a few drops of zinc daily during a time of concern. Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc, and a clean pumpkin seed butter is a kid-friendly way to get them into their diets!
- Elderflower tea
- Burdock root tea
- While an intense pathogen exposure shot may not work for some kids, it can be an excellent way to prevent and protect against most acute illnesses. For children who won’t swallow this, you could ask them to hold it under their tongue for 30-60 seconds and then spit it out.
Top Supplements to Help Against Measles Outbreaks
- Studies (**cited at the end of this blog) have shown that vitamin A can help battle measles outbreaks. Finding a clean vitamin A is typically very hard, but I wanted to share two clean products I have researched. Here is a link to option 1, and here is a link to option 2.
- Vitamin C
- Goldenseal
- Propolis
- Mullein
- Thyme tea
- Calendula cream is excellent for the bumpy rash and can provide itch relief.
- Calendula oil can also be quite soothing, especially if spots appear on the scalp, underarms, or pubic areas.
- Burdock root tincture
- Lomatium tincture
Additional Immune System Boosters and Supports for Children
- Sleep well – please get your child to sleep on time and early. An extra 30 m or 60 m of sleep can do wonders for a child’s immune system and adrenals
- Address any stressful situations your child may be experiencing
- Meditate with your child
- Spend time in nature
- Spend time with your pet or other animals
- For the cofactor symptoms that could accompany measles in the minority of cases:
- For ear pain or ear infections, include herbs like oil of oregano, goldenseal, mullein, thyme, lomatium and higher vitamin C.
- For lung inflammation, include herbs like mullein, lomatium, osha, eyebright
- For a croupy cough, the homeopathic remedy spongia tosta has been proven to address this cough in a much shorter time. You can also include some of the other herbs and food supports mentioned above
- For diarrhea, the most important thing is to keep your child hydrated, especially if he/ she also has a fever
Like any acute infection, whether it’s flu, bird flu, food poisoning, or measles outbreaks, keeping your child’s immune system strong is crucial.
Often, if symptoms beyond what’s typical for measles are showing up, this means that other underlying pathogens may be seizing the opportunity of a busy and occupied immune system to create more unpleasant symptoms.
This is why your most important defense is prevention.
Moving Forward with Confidence
Measles outbreaks are like many other pathogens we hear about daily in our world. As with any health-related concern, I encourage you to talk to your doctor or health practitioner and, together, find the best path forward to protect and care for your child. There is so much information out there to help families navigate health concerns without going into a fearful place. While the media often stokes fear, empowerment calms and equips us to move forward with clarity.
My mission is to bring more clarity to healing information so we all have the tools to keep ourselves and our families strong. If you are concerned about supporting your child’s health or your own and need guidance, you can book a consultation with me here.
** Studies that support use of Vitamin A in measles:
- Hussey, G. D., & Klein, M. (1990). “A randomized, controlled trial of vitamin A in children with severe measles.” The New England Journal of Medicine, 323(3), 160-164.
- This study demonstrated that high-dose vitamin A supplementation reduced mortality and severity of measles in children.
- World Health Organization (WHO). “Vitamin A supplements: A guide to their use in the treatment and prevention of vitamin A deficiency and xerophthalmia.” 2nd edition, 1997.
- WHO guidelines recommend vitamin A for children with measles based on evidence of reduced mortality and complications.
- Mayo-Wilson, E., Imdad, A., Herzer, K., Yakoob, M. Y., & Bhutta, Z. A. (2011). “Vitamin A supplements for preventing mortality, illness, and blindness in children aged under 5: Systematic review and meta-analysis.” BMJ, 343, d5094.
- This meta-analysis supports the use of vitamin A supplementation in reducing mortality and morbidity in children with measles.
- Cochrane Review: Imdad, A., Ahmed, Z., & Bhutta, Z. A. (2017). “Vitamin A supplementation for preventing morbidity and mortality in children from 6 months to 5 years of age.” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD008524.
