Recent deaths from measles in Texas and New Mexico have been linked to low vaccination rates in the region.
Unvaccinated individuals account for the majority of measles cases in an outbreak that has so far produced 223 cases in Texas, with 29 hospitalizations, and 33 cases in New Mexico, with one hospitalization, as of March 11.
US representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, has suggested on social media that “measles parties” can build up children’s immunity to the virus, but health officials have warned against them.
Measles causes severe complications, including secondary infections, pneumonia and encephalitis, and can lead to immune amnesia, where the immune system is compromised for several weeks or months, leaving individuals susceptible to future infections.
The MMR vaccine is the best protection against measles, with one dose being 93% effective and two doses being 97% effective.
