Texas Official Warns Against ‘Measles Parties’ Amid Growing Outbreak
1 min read
Summary
The ongoing measles outbreak in Texas, which has already led to one death, is prompting concerns over “measles parties” where unvaccinated children are deliberately exposed to the virus.
Speaking at a press briefing, Ron Cook, chief health officer at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, insisted such parties were “foolish” and that the best protection was vaccination.
Cook warned that measles parties could not predict who would fall ill or suffer complications, which can include pneumonia, encephalitis and death.
The current outbreak is primarily affecting unvaccinated children in nine counties, with 20 hospitalizations recorded to date.
Despite this, some vaccine-hesitant parents are reported to be having their children vaccinated due to the outbreak.
