The warning against measles parties comes days after an unvaccinated child died of measles in Lubbock County about month after an outbreak began in West Texas.

Measles has been spreading across the U.S. for the last several weeks, sickening people in at least nine states amid a growing outbreak in western Texas. Several people have been hospitalized and at least one unvaccinated school-aged child in Texas has died,

When the local hospital warned of a brewing measles outbreak, Kaleigh Brantner urged fellow residents of this rural West Texas community to beware of vaccinating their children. Two weeks later, her unvaccinated 7-year-old son came home from school with a fever.

The vaccine is the only way to prevent measles, but it also prevents other illnesses. The other "M" stands for mumps, and the "R" stands for rubella. Children can also get an MMRV vaccine, which adds protection against varicella, better known as chickenpox.

Vaccination provides long-lasting 97% protection against measles infection. Most people who have been vaccinated do not need to be vaccinated again.

Measles had been largely eliminated entirely in the United States as of around 2000 thanks to vaccination and its consequent herd immunity, but unfortunately made a comeback in re