Poison center reports rose 39% for a common supplement — after it was incorrectly touted as a measles cure
Poison control centers in the U.S. reported a 39% increase in calls related to a common supplement after it was incorrectly promoted as a measles treatment. This surge in interest coincided with public statements from notable figures, including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and podcaster Joe Rogan, discussing the supplement's potential benefits. Researchers found that while interest in the supplement increased significantly, they could not confirm whether this translated into actual usage.
- ▪Poison control centers recorded 86 pediatric vitamin A exposures nationwide between January 1 and March 31, 2025, marking a 38.7% increase from the previous year.
- ▪Search interest for vitamin A peaked at 100% by March 22, 2025, following public endorsements of the supplement as a measles treatment.
- ▪The study highlighted the media's influence on health-seeking behavior during public health emergencies like the measles outbreak.
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Health Poison center reports rose 39% for a common supplement — after it was incorrectly touted as a measles cure By McKenzie Beard Published June 6, 2026, 12:40 p.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The New York Post on Google Just because you can grab it off a drugstore shelf doesn’t mean it’s harmless. As the US confronted a major resurgence of measles last year, poison control centers reported a sharp spike in calls involving children exposed to a widely available supplement. Around the same time, new research shows internet searches surged for whether that same vitamin could be used as an alternative treatment for the potentially deadly disease. That spike in attention came after several prominent figures — including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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