CDC: Stop Using Ivermectin Instead Of Getting Vaccinated

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent a health advisory Thursday warning about the use of Ivermectin. The CDC noted the rapid increase in prescriptions for the anti-parasitic drug. Many are taking the drug to help prevent COVID-19. 

RELATED: Pfizer’s Covid-19 Vaccine is Fully Approved in the U.S.

Increase in Poison Center Calls Regarding Ivermectin

However, the CDC warned Americans against taking Ivermectin. The agency also reported an increase of Poison Center reports of severe illness due to taking the drug.

Doctors use Ivermectin to treat parasites such as lice and worms in humans. Meanwhile, veterinarians use the drug to deworm large animals such as cows and horses. 

The US Food and Drug Administration also joined the calls warning Americans against using the drug as an alternative remedy for COVID-19.

Over the weekend, the FDA tweeted a blunt message to its followers. “You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y'all. Stop it,” it posted. 

Alleged Cure For COVID-19

Conservative media personalities have featured Ivermectin as a topic in their shows. They talked about the possibility of using it as an alternative drug to treat COVID-19.

Celebrities such as Fox News hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham have all hosted discussions on whether Ivermectin can help with COVID-19.

Even in some congressional hearings, there are some lawmakers who insist it can help. Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson insists that it works in treating coronavirus. 

For months, conservative media — including Fox News hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham — have talked about how it could be used to treat Covid-19. It's a popular topic on Twitter.

Ivermectin has been called a “miracle drug” in congressional hearings. Even Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson has been touting its benefit to treating Covid-19 cure.

Increase In Prescriptions

As a result, Ivermectin prescriptions have gone through the roof over the last few weeks. The CDC reported that the usual 3,600/week prescriptions for Ivermectin ballooned to 39,000 earlier this year.

“Since early July 2021, outpatient ivermectin dispensing has again begun to rapidly increase, reaching more than 88,000 prescriptions in the week ending August 13, 2021.

This represents a 24-fold increase from the pre-pandemic baseline,” the CDC noted. GoodRx, a company that tracks drug prices, also saw a similar spike. Compared to 2019, August prescriptions increased 20 times. 

Unfortunately, calls to poison control centers also increased threefold. For example, an adult anxious to prevent Covid-19 had to undergo hospitalization for nine days after drinking cattle formula.

Another person who bought pills online was brought to the hospital after taking five tablets a day for five days.

Not Approved For COVID-19 Use

As a result, the CDC reminded doctors that they are not authorized to prescribe Ivermectin for us in COVID-19 patients.

Health professionals did try to study the possibility of the drug as a COVID cure, but clinical drugs did not yield insufficient evidence. Scientists will need to perform further clinical trials to verify its effectiveness. 

For now, the CDC warns against using the drug other than for its intended use. Overdoses can cause stomach problems, nerve damage, seizures, disorientation, coma, and even death.

Instead of Ivermectin, the CDC advises Americans to get a COVID vaccine. This is still the “safest and most effective way to prevent getting sick and protect against severe disease and death” from Covid-19.

Watch the CBS Miami video reporting that the CDC issued a warning against the misuse and overuse of anti-parasite drugs being used to treat COVID:

Did you try Ivermectin or know anybody who tried the drug for use against COVID? What happened? Given the choice between Ivermectin and a vaccine, what would you choose and why?

Let us know what you think. Share your comments in the comments section below.