Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer
A pediatrician in Washington, D.C. is warning parents and children about the dangers of “measles parties” that are being held in certain communities to try and build children’s immunity to the virus. This announcement comes on the heels of a positive measles case in Maryland and a measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico. These cases have been seen across the country among both children and adults who are not vaccinated against the disease. “I think people forget we had a child recently die in 2025 of measles,” said Dr. Gabrina Dixon, a pediatrician at Children’s National Hospital. “I always say prevention is key. You don’t want to get the illness, you want to prevent it. And the way to prevent it is with vaccination.” These “measles parties” seem to only be happening in the Maryland and Washington, D.C. area.
According to the CDC measles cases were considered eradicated in 2000, however now with vaccination rates dropping below 95% measles has become an issue in schools and rural communities with low vaccination rates.
One belief behind these “measles parties” is that it will build their immunity from the disease. This coupled with the unfounded belief that vaccines could cause illnesses, which has been repeatedly debunked.
