Modern medicine has helped society in so many ways, however is it possible that occasionally medical advances like vaccinations have rare consequences? Some people believe that certain vaccinations given to babies within their first year of life cause children to develop autism. This belief has gained some traction among parents so that a parent will opt out of vaccinating their child against diseases like chicken pox and many others. Whether or not to vaccinate children is an important question because it could bring back diseases that have seemingly become extinct because of vaccinations.

Personally I have an interest in this question because I had a Psychology teacher in high school that had triplets that were born seemingly healthy, but after they were vaccinated they began to show autistic behaviors and were soon after diagnosed. My teacher explained he sudden change he saw in his children and it truly concerned me that vaccines could have rare side effects. The reason a link between autism and vaccination has been given so much attention is because “the rate of diagnosis of ASD (autism spectrum disorder) has been steadily increasing since the 1990s. At that time also the routine vaccine schedule was increasing” (Science-Based Medicine). People believed that the increase in autism diagnosis was caused by the increase in vaccinations, however the correlation between these two events does not mean that there is causation.

The importance of vaccinations out weighs any supposed risk that may accompany vaccines. This is clear because before vaccines people often became fatally ill from diseases that are rare and treatable in today’s society. In fact both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Autism Speaks declare that vaccines do not cause autism. The ingredient thimerosal is typically what autism is attributed to however the CDC states “research shows that thimerosal does not cause ASD.” In fact a study was done in which between 1999 and 2000 thimerosal was removed or reduced in vaccinations and no change in the cases of autism was seen. From all the information presented vaccinations seem to be the safest way to protect children and the community.

While vaccinations are a controversial topic and every person feels differently about their importance, I think that vaccinations have been a very positive medical advancement. Vaccinations have contributed to longer life spans and higher infant survival rates. I understand the hesitation among parents and the fear of autism spectrum disorders, but ultimately the benefits of vaccines out weigh the alleged risk.