New York City officials have warned that parents in the city are holding ‘measles parties’ where they intentionally expose their unvaccinated children to an infected child, in an attempt to make their child naturally immune to the disease.

Many parents believe the radical measure of infecting their children with measles at a young age is the best option for them after becoming unconvinced about the safety of the MMR vaccine.

‘I understand that parents may be afraid of getting their children vaccinated,’ said Oxiris Barbot, the city’s health commissioner, who said in her opinion vaccinations are safe.

‘I know that getting vaccinated is far safer than getting measles.’

Daily Mail reports:

The measles outbreak in Brooklyn, primarily among Orthodox Jewish children, prompted New York City on Tuesday to declare a public health emergency, requiring unvaccinated people in the affected areas to get the vaccine or face fines of up…