With the first vaccines dating as far back as 1796, vaccines are working to wipe deadly diseases off the face of the Earth. With five million lives saved annually by the smallpox vaccine alone, why would anyone choose not to vaccinate their children?

However, in recent years, there has been a rise in parents claiming to be “anti-vaxxers”, who claim the medical miracle causes autism, Down syndrome, and other life-altering conditions. They also warn others that the “toxic chemicals” in vaccines, such as mercury, can poison your child’s brain.

Only one “official” research paper has been published linking vaccines to the rise in children being diagnosed with autism, but this “theory” has been debunked by several other science and medical professionals. Ironically, all of the contributors to that theory have resigned or had their medical licenses revoked. All other correlations between vaccines and other diseases or conditions have not been backed up by formal scientific evidence.

Although vaccines do contain dangerous, life-threatening chemicals, they are in such a small amount, that they pose no threat to you or your child. The most concerning one, mercury, has almost been removed from vaccines entirely.

Only 110,000 thousand people died of the measles globally in 2017, which is an 80 percent decrease since 2000. According to the World Health Organization, more than 95 percent of those deaths occur in undeveloped countries, where vaccines aren’t as widely available. Even with vaccines being on the list of top 10 medical achievements of the 20th century, vaccine hesitancy has been placed on the World Health Organization’s list of top 10 global health threats in 2019.