All arguments have at least two sides, if not more, to them. However, most people only research one side – the side that they favor – and fail to acknowledge the other side of the debate.

A clear-cut example of this is the very recent debate going on about vaccinations. Many people who support vaccinations fail to see why parents are choosing not to vaccinate their children. The same can be said for the anti-vaccinators – most of these parents choose to put on blinders and ignore the reasons that they should get their child vaccinated.

The people who choose not to vaccinate their children take many risks in doing so. It is true that some of those people have done their research and realize and understand what could happen to their child if they are not vaccinated. The problem with this is the lack of research those parents do pertaining to other people’s children.

There are some children in the United States who can’t receive vaccines for medical reasons. Children with a compromised immune system – such as those with HIV/ AIDS, cancer or possibly an allergy to the contents in the vaccination – aren’t able to get vaccinated. This is because their immune systems can’t handle even the controlled virus that is in the vaccine. Many parents who willingly don’t vaccinate their children fail to recognize the potentially deadly effects that their decision has on other children.

One reason that parents said they didn’t want their children to get vaccinated was because of the risk of the development of autism. In 1998, Andrew Wakefield conducted a study that linked autism to vaccinations. This claim was later proved to be false. Wakefield admitted to faking the results of his study for money.

However, even if vaccines could be linked to autism, it is slightly disheartening to know that parents would rather have their child suffer through diseases and possibly die instead of having a healthy child who may or may not be mentally challenged. I am not a parent, nor will I be one for a while, but I can’t help but wonder why people’s priorities are so out of place.

Of course, the anti-vaccinators are not the only ones guilty of not doing enough research. The pro-vaccinators have failed to see that vaccinations can cause injury or death. These are rare cases when a child’s immune system is unable to handle the strain or they have an allergic reaction. So the people who are against vaccinations have some reason to be skeptical, even though these cases are quite rare.

I am not criticizing those that vaccinate, nor am I criticizing those that don’t vaccinate. I am simply hoping that people will do their research before they condemn somebody else’s life choices. 

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