Issue and Thesis Statements Ever since its first documentation, vaccination has reshaped the perception and landscape of human health. Despite the fact that many healthcare organizations support vaccination claiming its effectiveness, there is no mandatory vaccination for children. Many Americans remain skeptical about the safety of vaccines questioning the positive effects of immunization. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccination is capable of preventing more than 21 million hospitalizations and 723,000 deaths among children (“Report Shows” par. 1). Nevertheless, no US laws mandate vaccination, but certain vaccinations are required by states. The anti-vaccination movement argues that vaccination should not be mandatory since it poses a threat to children and may lead to severe diseases, including autism, diabetes, and ADHD. However, lobbying attempts of anti-vaccination should be rejected because vaccines are effective against diseases and safe, they can save children’s lives, and side-effects of vaccines are minor. Opponent’s First Claim Those who claim that vaccination should not be mandatory offer several reasons which, upon close investigation, appear to be non-substantial. Opponents of vaccination argue that vaccines can cause serious and sometimes fatal side-effects (Hussain et al. 2920). It should be stated that this argument is true only to some extent. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, any vaccine can have side-effects, though they are minor and last only several days (“Making the Vaccine Decision” par. 1). However, the decision not to immunize a child involves much greater risk. It is not only an unvaccinated child who is at risk of having a disease but also other children who contact with such a child. Opponents of vaccination doubt the safety of vaccination, but their perception of side-effects does not correspond to reality. Opponent’s Second Claim Another argument used by proponents of anti-vaccination is that vaccines contain harmful ingredients that trigger serious illnesses. In particular, scientists claim that thimerosal, an organic mercury compound that is found in flu vaccine for children, can lead to the development of autism (Kern et al. 8). However, there is a number of studies that found no link between vaccination and an increased risk of autism, even for those who are at risk of having the disorder (Jain et al. 1539). Moreover, one could assume that the reason for such a faulty association between vaccines and autism is that autism generally develops at the age of 2-3 years when children are commonly vaccinated. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the only childhood vaccines that contain thimerosal are flu vaccines (“Making the Vaccine Decision” par. 15). However, thimerosal is used as a preservative, and its amount is so tiny that it poses no threat. Still, minor reactions, such as redness and swelling, may occur. Opponent’s Third Claim One more argument used by opponents of anti-vaccination is that the government should not intervene in medical choices, and mandatory vaccination infringes upon religious freedoms (Pierik 381). It is thus assumed that parents of children are the only ones who can take decisions regarding the immuni