In 2000, the United States declared that measles was officially eradicated from the country according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Only 37 cases of measles were reported in 2004. However, in 2014, that number rose to 644. This year alone, an outbreak of measles affecting 125 people has been confirmed, originating in Disneyland. Why did this happen? All signs point to the latest trend: anti-vaccination.

Recently there has been a large controversy over whether or not parents should be vaccinating their children. One of the most common reasons for avoiding vaccines that is cited is that vaccines supposedly cause autism, an idea arguably perpetuated in recent years by Jenny McCarthy beginning in 2008 after she announced that her son had autism, supposedly due to a vaccination he received. Parents’ fear of their children getting autism or developing other medical problems from receiving vaccines has since fueled an anti-vaccination movement in certain parts of the country where previously eradicated or uncommon diseases now run rampant. In the face of this, I pose the question: is autism really so awful that one should risk the lives of not only one’s own children, but others’ as well? I am willing to bet that many parents would agree with me when I say that the death of a child from a preventable disease is more grievous than raising a child that is not neurotypical. I do not doubt the potential hardships that come with raising a child with autism, but I believe the opinion that autism is worse than being susceptible to a deadly disease is an incredibly extreme and misinformed opinion to hold.

Regardless of one’s views on autism, the idea that vaccines cause it is simply untrue. Research from the CDC and numerous other scientific institutions have proved that there is no link between vaccines and autism. The doctor that claimed there was, Andrew Wakefield, has since been discredited and can no longer practice medicine. Despite the resounding evidence against the dangers of vaccines, there is still the persevering belief in some groups that vaccines are inherently unsafe, and these groups are not vaccinating their families. This has led to the recent measles outbreaks, the vigorous revival of whooping cough, and the likely return of other such preventable diseases. While parents think they are making a choice for their families without consequence to others, this is not true. The few people who cannot receive vaccines for various health reasons are at a much larger risk than they already were. This is because more and more people are choosing not to vaccinate when they are able, which creates a larger chance of the disease affecting not only themselves, but the individuals who are unable to receive the vaccine. This concept is called herd immunity; the people unable to receive vaccines are protected by the large majority who can. Not vaccinating when you are able is not only selfish and risky, but puts others in danger.

The decision to vaccinate may seem like a personal health choice. However, at the end of the day, it is a public health issue. The contemporary anti-vaccination movement is based on scientific misinformation, ableism, and the selfish interpretation of the right to make one’s own health decisions. If this movement continues, deaths from incredibly preventable illnesses will only increase in the coming months.