Vaccinations have saved millions of lives over the past hundred years. Vaccination rates are currently highest in the United States. Most vaccines are given during infancy through adolescents. Infants are particularly more susceptible to infectious diseases; This is why it is so important to protect yourself through vaccination. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccinations help prevent the spread of disease and protect infants and young children from the threatening difficulties of diseases such as polio and measles. (2004) Data compiled by the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) indicate that today's children receive up to 49 doses of 14 vaccines before reaching age six, which is approximately 12 times higher than the number of vaccines given to children in 1940. (Huff, 2013) Vaccines were developed to eradicate diseases such as polio and measles. There is no more polio or measles in the United States, so why are our children still vaccinated against these diseases? Are all these vaccines still necessary? While it is understandable why some vaccines are essential, there are many vaccines that can harm us, especially infants and children. Vaccines have been shown to cause autoimmune diseases and other serious reactions, suppress the immune system, and contain toxic ingredients that cause neurodevelopmental diseases. Vaccines can trigger autoimmune disorders such as arthritis, MS, lupus, and GBS (Tishler and Schoenfeld, 2004). While also causing rare but serious reactions including anaphylactic shock, paralysis and sudden death. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). These reactions are usually allergic reactions impossible to...... middle of paper ...... retrieved from http://www.naturalnews.com/040042_vaccine_schedule_immunizations_children.htmlInstitute of Vaccine Safety. (2014) Thimerosal table. Accessed 04/01/2014 from http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/Moskowitz, Richard. “The role of vaccines in chronic diseases” Retrieved 02/30/1014 from http://www.whale.to/vaccine/moskowitz.htmlNational Vaccine Information Center. (2013) Autism: an introduction to autism information. Accessed 01/04/2014 from http://www.nvic.org/vaccines-and-diseases/Autism.aspxTishler, M. and Schoenfeld, Y. (2004). Vaccination may be associated with autoimmune diseases. Israel Medical Association Journal, 6, 430-432. U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources, Health Resources and Services Administration. (2013) National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Accessed 04/01/2014 from http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/vaccinetable.html