Measles Spreads in Lubbock as Doctor Fights Anti-Vaccine Misinformation

As a measles outbreak continues to spread across West Texas, Dr. Ana Montanez, a Lubbock pediatrician, is encountering an increasing challenge—persuading parents that vitamin A cannot replace vaccination against the highly contagious virus.

Montanez, 53, is making extra effort to connect with families hesitant about vaccines. She is detailing the serious dangers of measles, a disease that many American parents have not experienced directly. In addition to promoting immunization, she is also addressing misinformation propagated by anti-vaccine groups.

A Lubbock mother recently informed Montanez that she was administering high doses of vitamin A to her children to prevent measles, referencing an article from Children’s Health Defense (CHD), an anti-vaccine organization previously led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is currently serving as President Donald Trump’s health secretary.

“Hold on, what are you up to?” “That was a warning sign,” Montanez remarked. “This community is closely knit, and when one family takes action, others are likely to follow suit.” Even if I am unable to persuade them to get vaccinated, I can still provide them with information to counter misinformation.

Kennedy, who stepped down from CHD before joining the administration, has highlighted that vaccination is a matter of personal choice while also advocating for alternative treatments such as vitamin A, a stance that experts dispute.

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that vitamin A does not prevent measles and may be harmful when taken in large doses. Research indicates that it can lessen the severity of infections in malnourished children in developing nations; however, such deficiencies are uncommon in the U.S.

“It’s perplexing that the effectiveness of vaccines is still a topic of debate,” stated Dr. Jeffrey Kahn, chief of infectious diseases at Children’s Health in Dallas. “We are equipped to manage measles.” We have accumulated six decades of experience.

The measles outbreak in Texas has escalated to 198 cases, with 23 hospitalizations and the tragic death of an unvaccinated child at a Lubbock hospital last month.

A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services representative chose not to comment on Kennedy’s management of the outbreak but reiterated the CDC’s advice that vaccination remains the most effective safeguard against measles.

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