Cases of measles are higher than usual, with 17 reported in California as of the start of this week.
"It can affect the brain," said Dr. Henning Ansorg, Public Health Officer for the County of Santa Barbara, about the seriousness of the disease. "You can get meningitis and syphilis from it, and you can get severe pneumonia from it."
He added that the disease can spread rapidly and advises being vaccinated.
"One person infects 18 people who are not immune against it," said Ansorg. "The most important thing is being vaccinated."
There are currently no reported cases in Santa Barbara County itself.
