Doctors urge parents to vaccinate children in wake of major measles outbreak

TAMPA, Fla. (FOX 13) - Doctors around the country are encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated in the wake of a major measles outbreak in Washington state.

Still some parents are choosing not to get their children vaccinated because of religious reasons, allergic reactions, or a flawed belief that vaccinations cause autism. Others say they just don’t see the need to do so and are instead banking on a strong immune system. 

“She’s 7 years old and she’s never had the flu," parent Will McAvoy said about his daughter. "So I don’t really necessarilyy believe in them, but I believe if you’re going to other countries, yeah, you should get your vaccinations.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report more than 150 cases of measles so far this year. Many of the cases stem from outbreaks in Washington state where more than 70 people are sick with the disease.

In the Bay Area, most cities show low rates of children not being vaccinated, except for one section of Clearwater, where one in four children are going without vaccinations.

The disease's resurgence is giving a platform to anti-vaccination advocates and a discredited doctor’s now-debunked study suggesting vaccinations cause autism.

“There have been things that have hit social media that are refuting the fact that this information is false," FOX 13's Dr. Jo said. "However, I did read the report and to me it was absolutely a fraud.”

Doctors urge parents to get their children vaccinated and say it’s the best way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.