As measles cases continue to rise in Texas where a child recently died, health officials are warning against so-called “measles parties,” calling the practice “foolishness” and dangerous.
The messaging follows an ongoing outbreak in West Texas, where 146 cases have been reported since late January. Cases have now reached New Mexico, health officials said. An unvaccinated school-aged child in the region has also died amid the surge.
Cases are also on the rise in Canada, with British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec bearing the brunt of the outbreak.
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world, spreading through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. It primarily affects children, which is why health officials are warning against “measles parties.”
These parties are an attempt by parents to intentionally expose their children to someone infected with measles to build natural immunity. The idea is similar to “chickenpox parties” that were common before the chickenpox vaccine.
During a Feb. 28 media briefing hosted by the City of Lubbock, Texas, Ron Cook, chief health officer at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, warned individuals about the severity of measles.
“There are severe outcomes like pneumonia or death. There is encephalitis or inflammation of the brain. Even more rare, but it can happen … years down the road after you develop measles, you can get what is called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, which is fatal. It is a known side effect of having measles.”
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Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis is a progressive, disabling and fatal brain disorder caused by a past measles infection. Symptoms typically appear six to eight years after infection as the virus gradually destroys brain cells. There is no known cure.
Cook said he has heard of parents in the area holding parties through social media.
“It’s not good to go have measles parties … let me discourage you from doing this,” he said. “We can’t predict who is going to do poorly with measles, be hospitalized and potentially get pneumonia or encephalitis and or pass away from this.”
“It is just too risky … we don’t get to pick and choose who is going to do well and not do well when you become severely ill. Please don’t do that, it’s just foolishness, it’s playing roulette,” Cook added.
He emphasized that the best way to avoid measles is to ensure you are fully vaccinated.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has also urged people to get the measles vaccine.
“Ending the measles outbreak is a top priority for me and my extraordinary team,” Kennedy said in a post on X.
The secretary, who has for years sown doubts about the safety and efficacy of immunization, said the Department of Health and Human Services would send Texas 2,000 doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine through its immunization program.
Over the weekend, Kennedy also penned an opinion piece for Fox News stating that vaccines not only protect individual children from measles but also help build community immunity, safeguarding those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.
“As the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I am deeply concerned about the recent measles outbreak,” he wrote. “Parents play a pivotal role in safeguarding their children’s health. All parents should consult with their healthcare providers to understand their options to get the MMR vaccine.”
— With files from Reuters
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