We are not yet through the year's first quarter and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting 141 cases of measles in the U.S., more than the annual total for six of the last 10 years. At this rate, we could easily top the 2014 total of 644 cases by the end of the year.
Despite the linkage of the current outbreak to Disneyland in California, there's no evidence that measles is a major threat to travelers or that public concern is hindering travel. But this needs to be watched.
The free flow of commerce, including the unfettered movement of business and leisure travelers, requires many things, such as safety, security, reasonable costs, modern conveniences, the rule of law, a healthful environment, etc.
It's bad enough that we are exposed to occasional outbreaks of norovirus or influenza, two ailments that never seem to go away, but it is inexcusable that we are witnessing an uptick in the occurrence of a disease like measles that was statistically eradicated from this country, because of an unfounded fear of vaccinations.
This is not a battle that the travel industry should have to fight, but at the very least, federal and local health officials, school systems and others who are standing up for the need for vaccinations deserve our support.