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In Ashland [Ore.], a quarter of kindergarteners started school last year without all their vaccinations, among the highest rates in the country. None of the community's public schools has the 92 percent of vaccinated kindergarteners needed to provide the so-called herd immunity that protects those who are vulnerable to infection. But persuading the community's independent-minded, frequently affluent families to change their views is a perplexing task for public health officials, who are more used to helping the poorest and least educated parents find free or low-cost vaccinations than having to argue people out of deeply held convictions. So some are retooling their messages, meeting with families one-on-one, and toning down sometimes strident rhetoric. (Bernstein, 2/11)

Doctors and academics that advise the U.S. on vaccines are considering recommending physicians be compensated for counseling people on the importance of getting shots for their children, even if the parents ultimately choose not to vaccinate. Draft recommendations presented Wednesday at a meeting of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee in Washington would also suggest establishing a minimum coverage goal for doctors, encouraging them to get more patients inoculated. The proposals, if adopted, could help doctors and public-health officials bridge a divide with parents who are worried that it’s unsafe for their children to follow government guidelines for vaccines. (Edney, Cortez and Koons, 2/12)

Tens of thousands of commuters on San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit system may have been exposed to measles after an infectious Bay Area resident rode a train to and from work for three days last week, public health officials said on Wednesday. The rider represents the first case of measles confirmed by Contra Costa County health officials during an outbreak of the disease that began in late December. The infected person also spent time at a San Francisco restaurant and bar on the evening of Feb. 4. (Respaut, 2/12)

For Jennifer Cauzza, a charter-school leader in Southern California, the measles outbreak is more than just a health and science lesson. It has become a civics lesson, too. Julian Charter School, where Ms. Cauzza serves as executive director, has a higher rate of students’ opting out of being vaccinated than the average in California, a state with a high rate of such exemptions overall and by far the most measles cases in an outbreak that began at Disneyland Resort in December and has encompassed at least 17 states. (Porter, 2/11)