What are the pros and cons of vaccinations?

The following is a list of the pros and cons of vaccinations. Vaccinations are recommended by our healthcare system for every child. However, sometimes a child has a reaction from an inoculation. As a result, there has been a growing number of parents who have begun to question the safety and efficacy of vaccines.

Pros
Most healthcare professionals believe that vaccinations are very effective. There is a widespread belief that vaccinations are responsible for the vast decline in many of our infectious and childhood illnesses. In comparison to the risks of the illnesses, it is commonly felt that vaccines are relatively harmless and pose very little risk.

Cons
Healthcare professionals against vaccinations have presented various arguments against vaccinations. They include the following:

• The susceptibility of different children isn't taken into account. If a baby is born to a mother who has used intravenous drugs, the baby is more susceptible to such illnesses as hepatitis
• It is impossible to eradicate all diseases. Could we be replacing one disease for another?
• Some people are against the fact that vaccines are presented as being compulsory. This is not entirely the case, as there are exemptions allowed in most states.
• Natural immunity lasts longer. Actually getting chicken pox can give you lifelong immunity, whereas getting the vaccine may not.
• There are benefits from having an illness like chickenpox, measles mumps or rubella in that there is lifelong immunity following infection.
• Diseases declined before the vaccinations. The disease of the 19th century in our society that had high fatality rates were smallpox, measles, tuberculosis, typhoid, diphtheria and influenza (or the flu). As living conditions and hygiene have improved, many of the illnesses have become less severe. This is not necessarily the case globally.
• The number of vaccines have increased over the years 8 to 22 (and more)
• There are harmful chemicals in the vaccine that some children might be sensitive to. The following is a partial list:
  
  
  Aluminum- it has been implicated in alzeimer's disease, dementia and seizures
  Formaldehye- is known to cause cancer
  Mercury -has been a topic of wide discussion.
  Monkey Tissue - is used to prepare the polio vaccine. There have been lots of polio vaccines over the years that have been contaminated by Simian Virus 40 (SV40). Some people have linked simian virus to childhood tumors, as the tumors have been known to contain the simian virus in it.