To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate

Vaccinations save lives. Ever since Dr. Edward Jenner invented the vaccine for small pox in 1796, many dangerous and deadly diseases have been virtually eradicated. However, recent outbreaks of measles, mumps and whooping cough suggest that some parents are opting not to vaccinate their children. Though study after study has confirmed that vaccines are safe, over the past 30 years in the United States, there has been a growing misunderstanding among some parents that the very vaccinations meant to prevent life-threatening illnesses are the causes of diseases like autism, mental retardation, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. In a very high profile case, model and actress Jenny McCarthy attributed her son’s autism to getting too many vaccines at once. (Studies now show that multiple vaccinations aren’t harmful.) More recently, Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann intimated that she believes the HPV vaccination causes mental retardation. While he certainly doesn’t want to discredit a parent’s feelings, Dr. ...