I'm on the fence about vaccinations. No, I don't think they should be mandatory, however I think more awareness and education on the matter needs to be more widely spread.

I get tired of seeing Facebook posts that claim people against vaccinations are stupid. This is not true. Ignorant, maybe, but not stupid.

In fact, we're all ignorant on this matter. No one can be 100% sure that these things are safe. Not a single individual on this planet can say with absolute certainty that no ill effects will be caused by a vaccination. And that doubt is what worries parents.

Especially parents in more uneducated areas who were brought up to distrust science and/or the government. This does not make these individuals dumb - it makes them cautious and untrusting. They may or may not be making a poor decision due to lack of knowledge, but it doesn't mean they are bad parents.

I mean, heck, I don't fully trust them. When I was around four years old I was given a booster shot of some kind (I think it was a measles vaccination, actually XD), and for the following month the muscles in my legs weakened and it became so painful to walk that I refused to do it. I remember laying on the couch crying because it hurt so badly. After that my parents decided I would receive no further vaccinations.

Granted, I received the shot in my hip, so it was probably due to the needle piercing muscles or some kind of nerve or something that actually caused my temporary ailment, but it still scared my parents enough to convince them immunizations were dangerous.

Aside from that, I've had a few relatives who have gotten sick from flu shots and the like. It's commonly believed in the area I live in that vaccinations are bad, and I fully understand why.

Anyhow, if I had a child, I would probably have him or her vaccinated simply because, as someone mentioned earlier, the benefits outweigh the possible risks. But my point is that I can understand and sympathize with those who choose differently.