A newborn baby and her mother are waiting in an examination room for the doctor. The mother holds her baby while she cries because of the spreading rash on her back as the doctor comes into the room. After taking one look at the baby, he put on a mask and instructs the mother to put one on as well.

When was the last time that you heard of the measles? What about the mumps? Rubella? These diseases and more used to run rampant in our world, not just in lesser developed countries but also in first world countries. We defeated these diseases with vaccinations, but they are making a comeback because parents think that vaccinations cause other health problem. They are wrong.

Two studies, conducted by the same person and published in 1998 and 2002, reported findings of a link between autism and the measles, mumps and rubella vaccination (MMR). The studies where almost immediately retested and were found to be false, but the damage was already done to the public view of vaccinations. Over 15 years after the faux study was disproved, and some people still believe that vaccinations cause developmental problems such as autism.

The measles virus was declared as eliminated in 2000. For 19 years the world was free of the measles virus. However, there has been a recent reoccurrence of the measles in the United States in the past few months. The measles and other viruses, including mumps, chickenpox and whooping cough, are making large comebacks due to the decrease in vaccinations. The belief that vaccinations cause other detrimental problems such as autism is just a common myth that has affected many people in unnecessary ways.

Vaccinations have been required for many years by various schools ranging from kindergarten to college. There was a good reason that they are required. To prevent disease. Schools contain a lot of students in an enclosed space, so diseases have a very high rate of spreading. The same goes for college. Colleges require students to have their meningococcal B vaccine as well as all other vaccines on the vaccination schedule for a typical child in order to attend. When students leave their homes and go off to college, their immune systems may not be accustomed to the new environment. Vaccinations act as protective barriers against dangerous diseases while students’ immune systems catch up to their new environments.

Before vaccinations the world was reduced to rampant diseases with no cures. But in today’s world we have life-saving modern medicine that has changed the meaning of the word disease. Vaccinations are important for the future wellness of our generation and that of generations to follow.