Measles cases are still on the rise in Texas, and are now at 223. ​The number of confirmed measles cases continues to rise in the US. Texas state health officials said yesterday that 25 new cases since last week brought the total for the state to 223, with 29 of them hospitalized.

And it's starting to spread; three new cases in neighboring New Mexico brought the total there to 33. Oklahoma’s state health department reported two probable cases of measles yesterday, saying they’re “associated” with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks. With the rise of cases, this should probably go without saying but in case you weren’t sure, officials in Texas are warning parents against throwing “measles parties.”

What are "measles parties"?

Similar to chickenpox parties, the idea behind a measles party is that people “deliberately expose themselves or their children to a measles infection in an attempt to build immunity.” Ron Cook, the chief health officer at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, says these parties are a horrible idea because “we can’t predict who’s going to do poorly with measles, be hospitalized, potentially get pneumonia, encephalitis, or pass away from this.”

These gatherings were more common before the measles vaccine became widely available in the 1970s. However, they are now considered dangerous and highly discouraged by medical professionals. The safest and most effective way to prevent measles is through vaccination, not intentional exposure.

While Cook also can’t confirm if there are really parties going on or if it’s just social media hysteria, they’re still a pretty dumb idea.