Cod liver oil supplements are distributed for free at Health 2 U, a health food store located in Seminole, Texas. The building where many families are seeking measles care during a growing outbreak in West Texas appears more like an abandoned car dealership than a traditional doctor’s office. Despite the lack of signage indicating its operation, the parking lot is consistently filled with pickup trucks from Gaines County and beyond. Inside the building, which is colloquially referred to as a “barndominium,” a few tables and chairs are arranged. Families, predominantly Mennonite, wait in a makeshift area on one side, while Dr. Ben Edwards consults with patients at a table on the other side.
Dr. Edwards, who has treated close to 200 measles patients in this undisclosed location, inquires about the patients’ diet and nutrition without conducting specific blood tests for vitamin or nutrient levels. Based on his conversations with the patients and their families, he determines if they could benefit from cod liver oil, rich in vitamins A and D, which is offered at no cost in the room. For children experiencing severe breathing difficulties, Dr. Edwards may recommend budesonide, an inhaled steroid commonly used for asthma. However, vaccinations are not provided at this facility.
In Gaines County, where Seminole is situated, the vaccination exemption rate is notably high at nearly 18%, compared to the national average of 3%. The community’s preference for unproven remedies highlights a departure from conventional medical practices. Seminole serves as the epicenter of the measles outbreak in Gaines County.
Dr. Ben Edwards, a family physician based in Lubbock, emphasizes the importance of aiding affected children by offering cod liver oil and nutritional guidance, akin to the advocacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the newly appointed Health and Human Services Secretary. Kennedy has been vocal in promoting alternative approaches such as vitamins and cod liver oil over vaccination and isolation to combat the outbreak.
While there is no specific antiviral treatment for measles, hospitalized children may receive supplementary oxygen to assist with breathing difficulties. Studies conducted in other countries suggest that vitamin A may benefit malnourished children with measles, although the efficacy of cod liver oil remains unsubstantiated. While vitamin A can be administered by doctors for severe cases of measles, excessive amounts can be toxic. Therefore, caution should be exercised when considering high doses of vitamin A. Any insinuation that vitamin A, including cod liver oil, could serve as a substitute for vaccination is deemed misleading by medical experts.
Dr. David Higgins, a pediatrician and preventive medicine specialist, stresses the importance of vaccination as the most effective method to prevent measles and its associated complications. He asserts that every case of measles, hospitalization, and death is preventable through vaccination, making it the primary goal in eradicating the disease.
In late February, a sign directed individuals to the measles testing area in the Seminole Hospital District parking lot. Edwards mentioned discussing measles treatment with Kennedy, but clarified that he was not associated with the anti-vaccine group Kennedy founded, Children’s Health Defense, prior to the recent outbreak. Both individuals have a history of opposing vaccines.
The makeshift clinic and unproven treatments in Texas resemble a previous measles outbreak involving Kennedy. In 2019, during a measles crisis in Samoa, Kennedy, as the head of Children’s Health Defense, linked alternative medicine practitioners in the U.S. with a local “natural healer” who administered unverified vitamin treatments to sick children, fueling fear about the country’s vaccination efforts. Tragically, 83 individuals, mostly children, lost their lives in the outbreak. Despite this, Kennedy denies any responsibility for the deaths and questions if measles was the actual cause.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, there have been 198 confirmed cases of measles in West Texas, primarily centered in Gaines County. Neighboring Lea County, New Mexico, has reported 30 cases. State data shows that 23 people, primarily unvaccinated children, have been hospitalized in West Texas, with two fatalities – a 6-year-old in Gaines County and an adult in Lea County posthumously diagnosed with measles.
As a truck heads towards Seminole, a rural town on the state’s western edge, news of the child’s death – the first child in the U.S. to succumb to measles in over two decades – sparked doubt among anti-vaccine activists. During a recent episode of the Children’s Health Defense online show, the group’s chief scientific officer propagated false information suggesting the child had other illnesses and wasn’t treated appropriately.
Dr. Edwards, who transitioned from traditional to integrative medicine, advocates for the “Four Pillars of Health” – nutrition, hydration, movement, and peace – as fundamental to well-being. Through his website, he offers dietary supplements, blood tests, and online education resources. Despite his past skepticism towards vaccines, Edwards is currently providing voluntary assistance during the measles outbreak.
Modern medicine cannot be solely credited for the historical decline in infectious disease deaths. Instead, the reduction in mortality has been attributed to improvements in sanitation, nutrition, and other lifestyle factors. While these factors played a significant role, they do not fully explain how vaccines have significantly reduced or eradicated infectious diseases.
On his podcast, he has welcomed anti-vaccine influencers and activists, such as Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccine Information Center and a representative from Children’s Health Defense. He has also defended Andrew Wakefield, the discredited doctor responsible for the retracted study that falsely linked autism to the MMR vaccine, and recommended reading materials from anti-vaccine activist J.B. Handley and the 2016 anti-vaccine film “Vaxxed.”
A community-based approach is essential to comprehensively address the measles outbreak in West Texas. Official reports do not capture the full extent of the outbreak. An estimate based on symptoms alone, without confirmatory testing, suggests approximately 188 cases in the last week in Seminole. The number of hospitalizations exceeds the state’s official count, with Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock treating 36 measles cases.
Katherine Wells, director of public health at the Lubbock Health Department, expressed significant concern about the outbreak, emphasizing the risk of further spread to neighboring communities. Despite efforts such as a billboard promoting measles vaccination in Seminole, Gaines County has one of the highest vaccine exemption rates in the state.
Measles, being highly contagious, can linger in the air for up to two hours and infect unvaccinated individuals, making indoor gatherings potential hotspots for transmission. A local health food store, Health 2 U, distributes items like cod liver oil, sometimes at no cost, supported by community donations. Worried doctors advise against bringing potentially infected children into public spaces without consulting pediatricians first.
Tina Siemens, a local historian in Gaines County, challenges the stereotype that Mennonite community members are uninformed about the disease or their choice not to vaccinate. She emphasizes that these decisions are well-informed and based on thorough research. Siemens recently met with a measles expert from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to share insights from the community.
Learn more about the community’s views on vaccines and how to promote vaccination. Despite strong evidence supporting the safety of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, Edwards and Kennedy advocate for families to make their own choices regarding vaccination for their children. This stance is well-received in Gaines County. In Seminole, residents react defensively to inquiries about their vaccination practices. A group of mothers who met at a local coffee shop declined to comment officially, expressing a sentiment of “Mind your own business” instead.
