For the past decade, the debate on whether or not you should vaccinate your kids has run rampant.
While Vox reports that only 0.7% of children between the ages of 19 to 35 months hadn't received any shots in 2013, celebrity opponents of vaccinations, like Donald Trump, Jenny McCarthy, and Kat Von D are making sure their opinions are heard.
But these famous stars aren't the only ones.
An unnamed nurse from Texas Children's Hospital in Houston posted on the "Proud Parents of Unvaccinated Children-Texas" Facebook page and shared details about a patient with the measles.
"For the first time in my career I saw measles this week ... and honestly, it was rough. This kid was super sick," the nurse allegedly wrote in her post, which has since been deleted.
"I think it's easy for us nonvaxxers to make assumptions but most of us have never and will never see one of these diseases. By no means have I changed my vax stance, and I never will. But I just wanted to share my experience and how much worse it was than I expected."
"Seeing it made me a little more humble and maybe a little more understanding," she added. "I'll continue along my little non-vax journey with no regrets, but I'll definitely have more compassion to those who vehemently vaccinate."
Not only did the nurse speculate how the toddler caught measles, she said she considered bringing it home to her 13-year-old child.
Although some believe in the power of "natural vaccination," where an individual will become immune to an illness once they catch it and have it treated, the World Health Organization adamantly advises against it.
"The price paid for getting immunity through natural infection might be cognitive impairments from Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), birth defects from rubella, liver cancer from hepatitis B virus or death from complication due to measles," WHO states on its website.
A concerned parent wrote on the hospital's Facebook page, and shared their concern on the nurse's controversial views.
"It is terrifying that in the pediatric ICU, you have an antivax RN employed," they said in their post. "My immunocompromised child needs to be protected from vaccine preventable diseases."
"This is EXACTLY why measles is making a comeback. There are entire Facebook groups in Texas trying to get a sample of this child's measles so they can arrange a measles party (purposefully exposing children to measles for 'natural immunity')."
Once the Texas Children's Hospital became aware of the situation, they made the decision to fire the nurse in question.
"We were made aware that one of our nurses posted protected health information regarding a patient on social media," the hospital said in a statement to PEOPLE.
"We take these matters very seriously as the privacy and well-being of our patients is always a top priority. After an internal investigation, this individual is no longer with the organization."
Measles, otherwise known as rubeola, is a highly contagious serious respiratory disease that causes a full-body skin rash and flu-like symptoms. If left untreated, measles could prove to be fatal.
"Measles is such a concern, because one, it's preventable. We have a vaccination that can prevent it," Dr. Umair Shah, executive director of the Harris County, Texas, Health System, told Houston ABC station KTRK. "And two, it's so easily transmittable to someone else. ... Vaccines save lives."
Do you vaccinate your children? Tell us why or why not in the comments!
