I also have some postdoc friends with children under 1 years of age who are constantly terrified that their kids are going to get exposed here, so it's not a threat to be taken lightly. I am just glad I don't have any young kids. I do find that I am very frustrated by the many years of vaccine use and near eradication of major diseases that are now being undone by very ignorant parents.
I personally feel vaccination for lethal diseases, such as the measles, should be mandatory, except in immune compromised children. I experienced mandatory vaccine implementation firsthand when I traveled to Peru in 2012. In doing so, I was required to get a series of shots including Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Chicken Pox (I never had it growing up and it is required for SA travel) and Yellow Fever. I'm very grateful I did this in the states, because while taking a bus from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado (part of the Amazon basin), our bus was boarded by health officials checking yellow health cards for proof of yellow fever vaccination. For those without proof of vaccination, they had a small ice chest packed with syringes. It was a bit surreal to be honest and certainly not how I think 'mandatory' vaccinations should be carried out in the US. Nonetheless, it seems to be a strategy that is working in that Yellow Fever is much less prevalent in that area since its implementation.
In the mean time, I am not sure what to tell my family and friends as they prepare to travel to the Bay Area for my wedding. Although I take the situation seriously (I don't find it funny that kids are dying from going to Disneyland!), I do find it amusing/scary that anyone needs to consider getting vaccinated for travel within the US.
