It's that time of year again! The most wonderful time! Pumpkins, hot apple cider, and sickness. Sounds contradictory to me, but also pretty accurate. I luckily haven't gotten sick yet, knock on wood, but I have been asked several times if I have gotten my flu shot. Which I most definitely have, despite my hatred for needles. I remember the vaccines I got before I went to school for the first time, the shot I got before my senior year of high school, and all the various flu shots I've gotten over my teenage and adult life. I recognize the importance of obtaining these vaccines, and I have been fairly healthy.

I also recognize the argument that exists behind vaccines, especially for children. There has been a stigma about vaccines causing autism, which I will say is completely untrue. One is not able to "catch" autism from a vaccine. I actually had a professor in college who stated numerous times in lecture, "VACCINES DO NOT CAUSE AUTISM." He was rather loud about it as well. Autism is definitely not caused by getting vaccinated. Obtaining autism involve different risk factors in genetics and pregnancy, but nothing involving vaccines. A genetic predisposition needs to be apparent for a child to have an autism diagnosis.

There can be multiple reasons why parents refuse to vaccinate their kids. I understand that there can be medical reasons why it is unsafe for children to get shots, which is completely reasonable. However, for parents who don't believe in vaccinating for fear of their child acquiring autism, I have a few questions. What do you actually know about autism? Why is the idea of your child having a, for the most part, functional disorder scarier than them getting a life-threatening illness?

Autism is professionally referred to as "autism spectrum disorder" meaning that there are multiple degrees of severity. Two different individuals with autism are not going to act exactly the same. I understand that the more severe degrees of autism can lead to a more challenging lifestyle, as opposed to someone who has Asperger's, which is a very mild form of autism. Living with autism or having a child with autism would definitely not be easy. However, it can still be done successfully by recognizing it for what it is and taking steps toward improvement. That way, a successful and productive life can still be lived with autism.

Not vaccinating your children or getting a vaccine yourself puts you or your child at risk for getting sick. It doesn't mean that you definitely won't get sick, but getting the vaccination could help aid the severity of the illness. Sending your child to school without proper vaccines is also putting the other students at risk of catching any illnesses your child might get. The reason why vaccines are in place is as a protection from getting these terrible illnesses that could be life-threatening. Why would you not want to protect your child's health?

Autism is definitely not life-threatening. I personally know of a couple people with different severities of autism that are wonderful people. They are doing great things in their life, and I think it is fantastic. So many people are misinformed about this issue, and it reveals a deeper heart issue and stigma towards it that's completely unnecessary.

For more information on autism spectrum disorder, please visit: https://www.autismspeaks.org