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RIGHT NOW, A 4:45, WE TURN TO FIVE ON YOUR HEALTH AND RFK JR IS ASKING THE CDC TO LOOK FOR NEW MEASLES TREATMENTS. THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY WANTS THE CDC TO CONSIDER MEDICATIONS AND ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES, INCLUDING VITAMINS. THE CDC RECOMMENDS THAT THE MEASLES VACCINE HAS THE MOST EFFECTIVE PREVENTIVE MEASURE. BUT KENNEDY SAYS FOR THOSE WHO CHOOSE NOT TO GET THE SHOT, THERE SHOULD BE ANOTHER OPTION. IT IS A IT’S A IT’S A HOT BUTTON. IT’S A TALKING POINT. AND DOCTOR TODD ELLERIN IS HERE TONIGHT. CHIEF OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, SOUTH SHORE HEALTH, TO TALK TO US ABOUT THAT. NOW, NOW, YOU HAVE SAID BEFORE, RIGHT? AND CORRECT ME IF I’M WRONG, THAT THAT TWO DOSES OF THE MEASLES VACCINE ARE 97% EFFECTIVE AT PREVENTING INFECTION AND ONE DOSE IS STILL 93% EFFECTIVE, RIGHT? SO THOSE NUMBERS ARE PRETTY STRONG. HAVE YOU SEEN ANYTHING ELSE COME CLOSE? NOTHING ELSE COMES CLOSE. REMEMBER, IT’S THE MEASLES VACCINE THAT BROUGHT THE UNITED STATES TO REALLY ITS ELIMINATION STATUS OF MEASLES BACK IN 2000. SO THERE’S NO BETTER PREVENTION. WITH THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, I AGREE THAT WE DO NEED BETTER THERAPIES FOR MEASLES, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE THAT CAN’T GET THE VACCINE, LIKE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PATIENTS WHO CAN’T GET IT. SO SO RIGHT NOW THERE’S A LITTLE CONFUSION. VITAMIN A CAN TREAT PATIENTS WITH SEVERE MEASLES, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN IN THE HOSPITAL. BUT THAT’S VERY HIGH DOSES OF MEASLES, NOT THE VITAMIN. THE VITAMINS DON’T PREVENT MEASLES. SO SO LET’S TURN TO ANOTHER VIRUS WITH A VACCINE. AND THAT’S THE FLU. WE JUST GOT THROUGH A BAD FLU SEASON HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. THE CDC NOW SAYS TAKE A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. 216 KIDS HAVE DIED IN THE US. THAT’S 216 TOO MANY. BUT HOW DOES THAT NUMBER COMPARE TO OTHER YEARS? THAT’S THE BIGGEST NUMBER IN 15 YEARS SINCE THE SWINE FLU, WHEN THERE WAS A LITTLE OVER 300 DEATHS. WE HAVEN’T HAD ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IT’S INCREASED SINCE LAST YEAR. THERE WAS ABOUT 207 DEATHS. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THAT WE’VE SEEN CHILDHOOD VACCINATION, PEDIATRIC VACCINATION DECLINE FROM ABOUT 64% FIVE YEARS AGO TO 49% THIS YEAR. NOW, WE DON’T KNOW HOW MANY DEATHS IN THESE KIDS WERE VACCINATED OR UNVACCINATED, BUT I WILL SAY LAST YEAR AND MOST YEARS, ABOUT 80% OF THE DEATHS FROM FLU IN CHILDREN ARE IN UNVACCINATED. SO I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE 80%. THAT’S A LARGE NUMBER. AND LET’S GO OVER IT AGAIN BECAUSE IT’S WORTH REPEATING. YOU MENTIONED, WHAT, FIVE YEARS AGO, THE VACCINATION RATE FOR KIDS IN THE UNITED STATES WAS 64%. THIS SEASON IT’S UNDER 50%. THAT’S A SIGNIFICANT DROP. SO. SO IT IF IT GOES FROM 64 TO 49, WILL IT GO EVEN LOWER. AND THE CONCERN IS AND THIS IS THE CONFUSING PART, YOU CAN GET YOUR FLU SHOT, YOU CAN GET YOUR COVID VACCINE. YOU CAN STILL GET THOSE ILLNESSES. BUT WHAT WE’VE SEEN IS THAT THOSE ILLNESSES TEND NOT TO LEAD TO HOSPITALIZATIONS OR DEATHS. SO THAT’S THE YOU KNOW, THAT’S WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO SORT OF REALLY GET HOME. BUT YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THERE’S SO MUCH, YOU KNOW, MIXED MESSAGING AROUND THESE VACCINES THAT IT’S A REAL PROBLEM. IT’S INTERESTING HOW WHAT, 25 YEARS AGO IS VIRTUALLY ELIMINATED. NOW, 25 YEARS LATER, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO VIRTUALLY ELIMINATE IT AGAIN. RIGHT. WE NEED TO RIGHT. WITH WITH MEASLES SPECIFICALLY. IT’S O