Why the need to vaccinate your children?


With the existence of pro-vaccination and anti-vaccination literature, many diligent but misinformed parents, question the validity of immunization. They intentionally omit vital vaccinations (e.g. MMR vaccine) because of the infamous theory on the autism link to MMR vaccine. Receiving all the vaccinations is a much safer bet than to risk getting afflicted with a life-threatening disease. When we compare today to the bygone era when illnesses were rampant, we cannot help but thank vaccines for the good health enjoyed by our children now.

That said, no vaccine offers 100% immunity, but vaccines allow children to remain risk free against so many dangerous diseases for longer periods. When a child is immunized, not only is he or she protected but also all the people with whom he or she comes in contact. It is a responsible act on the part of parents to protect the vulnerable children who due to legitimate reasons are not able to receive vaccinations.

These reasons include allergy, a compromised immune system - in this way the non-vaccinated child will receive the benefit from the 'herd immunity'. And these children can also include the very young and the very ill who are not vaccinated. In every country certain shots are compulsory before a child can enter school. Today with so much of global travel going on, vaccination becomes all the more necessary. Millions of people travel in and out of countries where diseases are prevalent; and many people are not fully immunized. Young children become easy targets through this exposure.