Millions of kids each year get immunized to
protect against disease.
Diseases like Smallpox and Polio now affect
far fewer people because of widespread vaccination.
Vaccines contain inactive viruses or bacteria
that stimulate your body's B and T immune
cells to produce antibodies, which then fight
the disease.
When enough people get immunized, vaccines
produce "herd immunity": when someone is sick,
the disease is contained by those who've had
the vaccine, preventing it from spreading
further and getting to those who are most
vulnerable.
But if only a few people are vaccinated, the
disease spreads easily through the population
and outbreaks can occur.
In 1998, a paper in a major medical journal
proposed a link between autism and the vaccination
for measles, mumps, and rubella.
 The popular press (and some celebrities)
fueled anxiety about vaccinations based on
this report.
Some vaccinations can have side effects, like
soreness and fever.
But Autism is a complex neurobehavioral disorder
that occurs with a spectrum of symptoms.
 A rise in prevalence may have more to do
with changing diagnostic standards than other
factors.
In fact, over a dozen studies have failed
to find any connection between autism and
vaccines and that original paper was retracted
amid allegations of fraud and conflicts of
interest.
Yet the actions of celebrities and the media
can have a lasting effect: more than half
of Americans still suspect there's a link
between vaccines and autism.
 Call it a case of "herd mentality."
The consequences can be serious: in Ireland,
vaccinations dropped about 30%, resulting
in 1500 new cases of Measles and Mumps, including
3 deaths.
And in the U.S., states with lowered vaccination
rates are currently experiencing outbreaks
of measles and epidemic levels of whooping
cough.
So don't be immune to good advice: better
a sore bottom, than a deadly bottom line.
