(NewsNation) — The parents of a Texas girl who died from measles are telling others not to vaccinate their children against the disease.
The couple, who are Mennonites, believe their daughter’s death was the will of God. They recently appeared in an interview with antivaccine nonprofit Children’s Health Defense to talk about their daughter’s death.
“Don’t do the shots,” the girl’s mother said.
She added that measles “isn’t as bad as they’re making it out to be.” The woman said her four other children recovered from the disease after receiving alternative treatments, including cod liver oil and vitamin A, which doctors say have no effect on measles.
The 6-year-old was the first person in the United States since 2015 to die from measles.
“The measles are good for the body,” the girl’s father said, adding that the disease boosts the immune system and wards against cancer, an untrue claim repeated by antivaccine groups and most recently by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
As of Friday, the measles outbreak in Texas has reached 309 cases, while 42 people in New Mexico were reported to have the disease.
According to the CDC, the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the best way to protect against measles. With two doses, the vaccine is 97% effective.