To the Editor:
I enjoy reading The Southeast Examiner and appreciate the coverage of neighborhood news. However, in the November 2024 issue, I was dismayed by the article entitled “The Benefits of IV Vitamin Therapy: Preparing for the Cold and Flu Season” by Heather Krebsbach. The article promotes a procedure that Krebsbach’s own clinic provides. It includes no discussion of possible side effects of IV vitamin therapy, nor does it cite any scientific studies. I am not a medical doctor or medical researcher, but a quick search of reputable medical sources including Mayo Clinic (bit.ly/3ZF6bgE), Merck Manuals (bit.ly/3VOzTyX) and Harvard Medical School (bit.ly/3P6OB0s), suggest that there is good reason to question the claims made in Krebsbach’s article.
As these resources suggest, scientific evidence to date does not support the claim that IV vitamin therapy boosts immunity or overall health in otherwise healthy individuals. The Southeast Examiner’s inclusion of Krebsbach’s piece without any accompanying critical perspective therefore amounts to free advertising for quackery. I would suggest that the paper follow up this article with one by a qualified medical or public health professional analyzing Krebsbach’s argument and advocating evidence-based approaches to staving off respiratory illness, most notably, vaccination against flu, COVID and RSV.
Finally, it’s troubling to read this article advocating unnecessary, voluntary IV treatments at a time when there is a nationwide shortage of IV fluids. Perhaps The Southeast Examiner could interview a bioethicist to offer a perspective on the ethics of offering such treatments under these circumstances.
Sincerely,
Margot Minardi
Editor’s note: Letters to the Editor should be less than 300 words and The Southeast Examiner reserves the right to edit them for length or content.