In recent years, vaccinations have been prompted to be safe for most everyone, though because the risks are not all the same and doctors cannot predict which child will be impacted negatively parents are beginning to excessively worry. This worry is beginning to drive parents to seek out another option, one that allows them to completely opt out of vaccinating their children. Parents who are deciding that this option is the right one should evaluate possible consequences of their choice, both for their child and for the individuals surrounding.
By choosing to not vaccinate their children, parents are threatening the 'herd immunity ' which is the general immunization to a pathogen in a population. The largest consequence that one could be responsible for in this situation is the potential of putting others at extreme risks - including those who are otherwise defenseless. Defenseless individuals can include infants who are too young to be vaccinated and people whose immune system is otherwise compromised. While it is stated that vaccinations, nor the diseases they combat, are one-hundred percent effective people should know that vaccines are intended to help provide an improved immunity because what vaccines do is separate microbes, and by not receiving those important vaccinations you're increasing the likelihood of passing along those microbes.
Currently, in all fifty states of the US, and including the District of Columbia, there is some form of state mandated vaccination requirements. Normally these requirements have to be met before a child enters into a public education facility and it is reported that almost all medical professionals encounter parents who want to have another option and refuse to vaccinate their children. Some parents who seek out this option in a desperate manner create a tension between them and said professional (who simply desires to do what is best for the child). This situation has lead to some professionals having to tell those who opt out of vaccinating their children to find another doctor due to creating other issues and possibly putting other patients at risk.
A 2007 article in the Journal of American Medical Association compared the annual average number of cases and resulting deaths of various diseases before the advent of vaccines to those occurring in 2006. Results revealed that vaccines are some of the most effective health care innovations ever devised, and for some to choose to opt out of them is a major risk. By choosing to opt out of vaccinating their children, parents are also taking advantage of the fact that everyone else around them has made the opposite decision. However, the more people who depend on the immunity of those surrounding, the higher the risk becomes for contracting something and infecting others with it.
