President Barack Obama and White House hopeful Chris Christie weighed in on the vaccination debate on Monday after a recent measles outbreak.

"There is every reason to get vaccinated -- there aren't reasons to not," the president said on NBC's "Today" show.

The New Jersey governor, meanwhile, told CNN something different.

"Parents need to have some measure of choice, as well," Christie said.

A wave of vaccination skepticism, which the Washington Post reported is "largely based on unfounded and discredited anti-vaccine beliefs," may be partially responsible for dozens of measles cases reported in California, other states and Mexico. The outbreak was linked to the Disneyland entertainment park in Orange County, near Los Angeles, according to NBC News.

"I just want people to know the facts and science and the information," Obama said. "And the fact is that a major success of our civilization is our ability to prevent disease that in the past have devastated folks. And measles is preventable."

The president acknowledged parents' fears but called the science behind immunizations "indisputable."

"You should get your kids vaccinated -- it's good for them," he said. "We should be able to get back to the point where measles effectively is not existing in this country."

Obama's daughters, Sasha and Malia, have been vaccinated, the president said.

Christie's sons, Patrick and Andrew, and daughters, Bridget and Sarah, have also been vaccinated, the governor said. Christie insisted, however, he was speaking "as a parent then, (not) a public official."

"Not every vaccine is created equal. Not every disease type is as great a public health threat as others," Christie said.

The debate over whether to immunize children should hinge on, Christie said, "whatever the perceived danger by the vaccine is."
"... and we've had plenty of that over a period of time -- versus what the risk to public health is," Christie continued.

When Christie's ambivalence stirred controversy, the governor's ofice issued a statement clarifying his position, Vox reports.

"[Christie] believes vaccines are an important public health protection, and with a disease like measles there is no question kids should be vaccinated," the statement said.

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