The purpose of vaccinations is to protect yourself and those around you from developing and spreading illnesses such as measles, polio and rubella. Before effective vaccinations, thousands of people in the United States reported cases of these such illnesses every year and many died. With a large majority of Americans now vaccinated, disease outbreaks became much less of a problem.
However, there has been a recent movement toward parents choosing not to vaccinate their children. A common reason parents give comes from an article by Andrew Wakefield from 1998 that discusses a causal link between vaccinations and autism disorders. However, Wakefield’s findings have been discredited by many researchers because it was uncovered that he committed research fraud by falsifying data.
So why is this myth still being believed if there is no scientific evidence to back it up? Great question. Regardless, anti-vaxxers are creating a dangerous environment for those around them and across the country. Diseases that we have under control in the United States can pop back up and cause illness and death. We must keep these outbreaks and epidemics at bay by receiving vaccines and protecting ourselves and the generations that come after us.
Sources: CDC and History of Vaccines