BATON ROUGE — Amid a measles outbreak, members of the Louisiana Families for Vaccines are urging residents to get the jab.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 222 cases of measles so far this year after 285 cases in all of 2024. One death has been confirmed in Texas — an unvaccinated school-aged child.

Board member and physician at Our Lady of the Lake Mikki Bouquet said this outbreak is prompting concern among parents.

"Many of our patients were already getting vaccinated. Now they're even more aware of how important vaccines are," Bouquet said.

Out of the 198 measles cases in Texas, nearly all were among either unvaccinated people or those whose vaccination status was unknown.

Bouquet said the MMR, the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella, is safe and effective. She said the two doses given prove 97 percent immunity against measles.

Founder of Louisiana Families for Vaccine and advocacy director of SAFE Communities Coalition Jennifer Herricks said she is spreading the word about the importance of being vaccinated. 

"Another thing measles does that we don't think about is it causes immune amnesia. So that means after you've gotten over the measles the measles impacts your immune system in such a way you're now vulnerable to other diseases you used to be protected against, you used to be immune to," Herricks said.