I never thought this would be considered a political issue, but more and more people seem to have an opinion against it. More parents are making the decision not to vaccinate their children.

Getting vaccinations is something that, as a parent, you must do for your child. There are no if’s, and’s or but’s about this. It does not matter what your political views are on the issue. The fact is, vaccinating your child is essential to their health. If you do not, not only will you be endangering the life of your own child, but all other children around them.

One of the first arguments that parents have against vaccination is animal testing. As a person who was a vegetarian for over three years, I understand that animal rights are a serious issue. However, animal testing, at least when it comes to vaccinations, is a necessary evil. The diseases that we vaccinate for, such as the mumps or whooping cough, are deadly diseases. Unless we want a worldwide plague on our hands, we need to test the vaccines on animals to see if they work.

Another reason people fight against vaccinations is the belief that it increases the chance of autism in children. This is not true, and has not been proven by any scientists. Even if it did increase the chance of a child developing autism, what is worse? Your child dying from whooping cough or living with autism?

Recently, California has stated that they are in the works of making vaccinations mandatory for all children. I believe this is a step in the right direction. While some vaccines might be a bit scarier, there should be a bottom line of what a child should have. Vaccines are a great medical advancement that some people would beg for. We should take advantage of what we have and help everyone stay healthy.