The sobering news that the number of measles cases in the United States is now its highest level in more than a decade serves as a stark reminder for parents of the importance of childhood vaccines.

Health officials point to the growing legion of parents who opted out of mandatory vaccination laws as fueling the recent outbreak. Sadly, that choice to opt out is often based on the ill-informed fear that vaccinations are linked to autism — despite solid and independent medical studies that repeatedly refute that claim.

The Centers for Disease Control reported 131 cases of measles in the first seven months of this year, compared with only 42 cases for all of last year. An astounding 112 of those cases were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status. More than two-thirds of those cases were unvaccinated because of their parents' philosophical or religious beliefs, the CDC reported.

Measles cases were reported in 15 states and the District of Columbia; Hawai'i reported five cases.

Unfortunately vaccines seem to suffer from their own success. Because they've worked so well, few now recall that prior to vaccines, measles and other contagious diseases infected millions annually, killing hundreds.

Vaccines — particularly mandatory vaccinations for school-age children — resulted in health officials declaring measles eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, according to the CDC.

"It would be horrible to have these gains erased by misguided folks who don't understand the importance of vaccines," said Dr. Sarah Park, Hawai'i's acting state epidemiologist who is also a pediatric infectious disease specialist. "Vaccines are our best and most effective defense against infections diseases. Wouldn't you want to use the best defense possible to fight disease?"

Parents who forego vaccines unnecessarily place their children and others at risk. Measles, like other childhood diseases, is highly contagious, and can result in encephalitis, pneumonia, and in some cases results in death. And debilitating effects of measles can sometimes occur years after contracting the disease.

That measles is 99 percent preventable through vaccines makes this spike all the more troubling.

Vaccines undergo a decade of testing prior to FDA approval. And even on approval, monitoring of potential side effects continues. Most side effects are minor, such as a sore arm or slight fever.

Health officials rightly worry that fewer children are getting the immunizations they need. And it goes beyond parents opting out: More than one in four kids are not in compliance with national vaccine recommendations due to missed doses or other lapses, a new CDC study reported.

The CDC's warning is ominous: Since measles is extremely contagious, it serves as an early warning of the perils of declining vaccinations — we could soon see the reappearance of other preventable diseases resurface.

It's time to turn the tide.

This will take diligent parents, dedicated physicians and health officials committed to even more education efforts, to ensure all our children are properly vaccinated.

Working together, and armed with the right information, we can drive these once-eradicated diseases back into the darkness.