Below you'll find the common arguments for and against immunizing your child to help you make an informed decision. Immunization protects children against dangerous childhood diseases by causing the body to create antibodies against very small doses of the disease. Children should be immunized before they are two years old to protect them during their most vulnerable period. Diseases such as measles and chicken pox can and do kill people. If vaccinations were not given, many more people would be affected by the diseases.
Vaccines only cause minor side effects except in very rare cases.
Routine vaccinations of large populations have dramatically reduced the incidence of life-threatening diseases such as diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, and polio. There may be a link between immunizations and autism, cancer, and sudden infant death syndrome. More children suffer moderate to severe symptoms from vaccinations than from the disease those vaccinations are supposed to prevent. Many vaccines contain live viruses which can causes symptoms to occur in those who come in contact with a recently vaccinated child. No studies have been done to test the long term effects of vaccines on the immune system.