As a parent, it is your duty to protect and love your child as much as possible. And there’s a lot of freedom in that statement. There is no manual for raising a child. Parenting is no doubt one of the hardest jobs out there.

There is a line, however, in which you have to think outside of just your child, and think about the collective good of others. Anti vaccination ideology is a threat not only to the unvaccinated individual, but the health of society in general.

Let’s unpack the beliefs behind resisting vaccination. Vaccines do not cause autism. The original doctor who published the study linking the two had his license revoked  due to a flawed and biased research method.

There is absolutely no link between vaccines and autism. Intentionally refusing a time tested protection against disease in fear of having a disabled child is not protecting your child. It’s a form of stigma against those on the spectrum and is nothing but ignorance of science and lack of empathy.

Refusal to vaccinate as a protest against pharmaceutical companies is futile. While yes, pharmaceutical companies like BigPharma do make prices of essential drugs too high and are outright unethical, refusing vaccines only helps them more.

If an unvaccinated individual contracts disease, the company will make thousands on drugs that will cure them. Preventing disease is more effective than trying to reverse it, and refusing vaccination is short sighted and ineffective.

Choosing to not vaccinate children leads to outbreaks of diseases that had been virtually unseen for years, allowing diseases to spread as well as adapt to forms that could be untreatable. It exposes a growing, weak immune system to diseases that ravaged humanity beforehand.

Imagine being responsible for another outbreak of polio or measles, infecting others due to stubborness. For individuals with compromised immune systems (lupus, HIV/AIDS, cancer), exposure to these diseases could be deadly. The choice not to vaccinate extends to more than just the unvaccinated child.

The anti vaccine movement is not based in fact, but rather, in fear. Conspiracy theories line the forums and Facebook posts reject modern medicine. Youtube has stopped monetizing these theories after pressure from advertisement companies opposed to spreading this dangerous misinformation. If you want to reject modern medicine, buy an essential oil kit or something.

Modern medicine is not scary, and it isn’t a plot to destroy us. Many medicines come from cultural and natural roots, and are made more efficient and easy to use. Modern medicine is not the enemy, and that includes vaccines.

Being a parent is a beautiful thing. Don’t sacrifice the life of your child or anyone else’s child out of ignorance. Part of caring for your child is caring for the world they live in. Advocating against vaccines spreads false information and survives on fear. Proper vaccinations are essential to the well being of society, and rejecting them isn’t just a decision: it’s a danger.