An outbreak of measles that is spreading across the United States has put the spotlight on a disease that many people don’t think much about any more.

It’s also called attention to the decision some parents make not to have their children vaccinated against this highly contagious disease. Either because they have read about a now-debunked theory that immunizations were connected to autism or because they consider vaccinations too invasive or unnatural, they chose to forgo the MMR vaccine, which covers measles, mumps and rubella.

The fact that these diseases are almost nonexistent in the United States has allowed parents to become complacent about the vaccines. Most of these parents would never consider bypassing the immunizations if the disease were more prevalent. Indeed, the fact that the vast majority of parents choose to have their children immunized is the only reason that the diseases have been reduced to the extent that some parents feel safe forgoing the vaccine.

But the world is getting smaller, and measles and other diseases are far less rare in other parts of the world. It’s probably no coincidence that the latest outbreak started in Disneyland, which attracts large numbers of visitors from other countries. Once the disease takes hold, it’s hard to stop its spread among the unvaccinated population — including among infants because the first MMR immunizations aren’t recommended until children are a year old.

Statistics gathered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for the 2012-13 school year indicated that 88 percent of kindergartners in Douglas County had received the MMR vaccine. The survey shows a surprising number of counties that have an MMR vaccination rate under 90 percent. When measles cases are reported in Kansas, as health officials are almost certain they will be, many parents may be rethinking their decision to forgo the immunizations.

Health officials say the science is clear that the MMR vaccine is safe and about 95 percent effective. There may be solid reasons for a few children to skip the vaccinations, but for the vast majority of children, the benefit of the vaccine far outweighs any risks. It’s a benefit not only for the individual children but for everyone around them. Keeping a lid on measles and other contagious diseases depends on the vaccines that parents should embrace as the life-saving miracles they are.