Many things from the twentieth century have recently come back to haunt us, none of which belong in the twenty-first.

These relics include shoulder pads, despotic Russian leaders such as Vladimir Putin and the measles. The difference between shoulder pads and the measles, however, is that the former did not infect a large group of students at The Ohio State University. The unfortunate symptoms of THE measles, unlike those of the shady Russian leader, can fortunately be combated by one simple step–getting vaccinated.

Normally, I don’t care what (bad, risky, stupid) decisions others make as long as they don’t affect me. However, your choice to protect yourself from measles, or not to, can greatly impact others around you.

Already in 2015 there have been over 121 reported cases in the United States,  according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This follows 646 cases last year, after measles had been effectively eliminated in 2000.

Remember that awful two-month long period when everyone was worried about Ebola even though only ONE single person (who contracted the disease in west Africa) died from the disease in America? The measles are far more infectious, because it’s an airborne disease which “passes through droplets in the air, usually from someone sneezing or coughing, and can blow or linger for a while,” according to National Geographic, whereas Ebola can only be transmitted through bodily fluids.

This is why getting vaccinated is crucial. There are some high-risk individuals, such as pregnant women, those with blood or immune system disorders and cancer patients, whom the CDC advises not to get vaccinated, and who must rely on everyone else to do so in order that the disease isn’t transmitted to them. Yes, everyone has the right to do (or not do) what they want with their own body, but when your choice can literally kill multiple people, it becomes everybody’s problem, and is no longer a completely personal decision.

A common reason that some parents decide not to vaccinate their children is due to the false belief that vaccines cause autism. The one and only study that claimed to establish that relationship was proven fraudulent, and the doctor, Andrew Wakefield, who conducted that study, lost his medical license. According to Autism Speaks, no credible study has ever found even a correlation between autism and vaccinations.

Let’s be considerate of those people who for whatever reason can’t get the vaccination for themselves by making the world a safer place. Remember, stopping Putin may be incredibly difficult, but stopping the measles is easy–just get vaccinated.