A parent in California recently had the bright idea that a good way to build measles immunity in kids who haven’t been vaccinated is to have a “measles party.”
Although there’s nothing like high fevers and conjunctivitis to spice up a festive gathering, Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spoke out against such practices on “PBS Newshour” and discussed other ways misinformation can be detrimental in the face of this extremely contagious and dangerous virus.
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The party idea is reminiscent of “chickenpox parties” that some parents participated in during the 80s in order to get the viral disease out of the way for their kids – this was before a vaccine was available.
“The difference is we have a measles vaccine today, which is incredibly safe and highly effective,” Dr. Art Reingold, head of epidemiology at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health told The LA Times. “It just doesn’t make sense to say I’d rather have my kids get the measles than the measles vaccine. That’s … based on misinformation that the measles is a benign childhood illness.”
[Photo from Flickr user Nicole Hanusek]
