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      According to my independent research, and from what I am gathering from the on-line forum, there is no scientific evidence that says that vaccinations lead to autism. However, as Grobstein points out, there is evidence that not vaccinating leads to huge problems. To me, it is an incredibly selfish (and although I know this is disagreeing with others in the class - ignorant) decision to not vaccinate your child. When you bring your un-vaccinated child into the pediatrician’s office, or the classroom, and your child is unknowingly carrying a serious condition, you are exposing other children to the illness. Suppose the four-year-old girl next to your un-vaccinated son is surviving cancer and has been undergoing chemo for the past six months. Her immune system is very weakened. After your un-vaccinated child stops scribbling with the crayons on the play table, the girl puts one of the crayons in her mouth. A week later the cancer survivor is in the hospital with an acute respiratory infection. Because she is already weak, she struggles with a high fever and can barely breathe. Your un-vaccinated-carrier child is fine, due to a strong immune system, but the weak girl barely survives. By not vaccinating your own child, you are putting other children, who have their own life-threatening conditions, at serious risk. If you choose to not vaccinate your child, you might as well raise them in an isolated glass box and not allow them to have any contact with other humans. Period.

Science educators, researchers, doctors, nurses, the internet –everybody- should belabor this point. Get vaccinated for the sake of others. There shouldn’t be a choice because there’s not enough real evidence against vaccinations. But there sure is enough scientific evidence regarding the importance of vaccinations. As Colette said, “sometimes personal beliefs have to be overridden for the greater good.”