The tech and science capital of the world—where self-driving cars and futuristic goggles are a regular part of the landscape—also seems to be a hotbed of anti-vaxxers.
Wired found shockingly low vaccination rates at a number of corporate-sponsored daycare facilities in Silicon Valley. And kid-centric Pixar, now part of Disney, was one of the worst offenders: Only 43% of children at a Pixar-affiliated daycare center were up to date on their shots, according to California state records. Pixar was not immediately available for comment.
The current US measles outbreak has largely affected children of educated and affluent parents. Marin County (median household income $90,893) has the highest vaccine opt-out rate in the state, with only 84% of students entering kindergarten fully immunized. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the measles vaccine is most effective when at least 92% to 94% of the population is vaccinated, but more than a quarter of schools in California fall short of that “herd immunity” threshold.