Why 'measles parties' are a bad idea

The idea for “measles parties” and “chickenpox parties” first emerged decades ago, at a time when vaccines against these diseases were not available. The thinking was that it was better to ensure that children got the disease when they were younger, and avoid getting a possibly worse form of the disease as adults, according to KQED.

But today, “it makes no sense to go through the actual illness when you can prevent it,” with vaccines, said Dr. Ambreen Khalil, an infectious disease specialist at Staten Island University Hospital in New York. [Measles Outbreak: Top Questions Answered]

That’s because people with measles can be very sick for seven to 10 days, with symptoms that include a high fever, cough, sore throat and rash.