Not sure what to think of this, Java is something that has always run on every computer I've owned and I'm not sure exactly how disabling it would affect my ability to browse websites.
Use chrome, I'm pretty sure it is used internally, so I don't think it should cause a problem.
On the other hand, thers not much you can do. This stuff really is dangerous. I think you should prepare the same way you do for the flu, you don't stop going outside, but you start watching what you do, who you do things with (computer activity), you make sure you wash your hands (more regulare virus scans), and finnaly, encrypt your drive. This isn't a surefire way to avoid it, but it may help. They don't call them "viruses" for nothing.
I really miss Sun Microsystems. Ah good old days when Sun Microsystems, even thouhg a corporation, truly embraced and recognized a power and effectiveness of community-driven development. In those days, such vulnerability would have been fixed in matter of weeks if not days. Oracle, damn you. You are destroying my favourite programming language.