Why Vaccinations are NOT a Personal Choice.

Okay folks, I'm going to go against my general social networking and blogging rule and address a pretty controversial topic, that I've become rather passionate about. You've seen it all over the news: vaccines. Particularly the MMR vaccine. I know this blog post is bound to ruffle some feathers, but I will take my chances, if it could potentially change someone's mind.
Between January 1st and January 30th 2015, there were 102 reported measles cases. That's more cases than there were in each of the single years from 2002-2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012 alone. Last year, there were around 650 reported cases. The reason? Not vaccinating. Nowadays, not vaccinating has become a trend. Whether it's because parents aren't comfortable with the ingredients and chemicals in the vaccines, because of the claimed link between the MMR vaccine and autism or for religions reasons. 
Let me throw a few facts out there for you:
Throughout the past few decades, awareness, recognition and diagnostic practice regarding autism have drastically improved. So naturally, the number of those diagnosed with autism has increased with time. Autism can't be definitely diagnosed until around 18-24 months of age, which is around the same time that vaccines such as the MMR vaccine are first administered. This could explain the reason that a connection between autism and the MMR vaccine was suspected. Early signs and symptoms are often present when children are as young as 8 months old. There is scientific proof that autism can be a result of genetic nongenetic events occurring before conception or during pregnancy, long before a vaccine would even be administered. However, Andrew Wakefield's 1998 claim that there is a link between autism and the MMR vaccine, was discredited. There is no scientific proof that autism is a result of the MMR vaccine after numerous studies. (Here's a great NPR article about a woman with an autistic child, who changed her mind about vaccines:  http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2015/02/04/383567862/once-a-vaccine-skeptic-this-mom-changed-her-mind)
Even if you hunt and grow your own food and produce your own hygienic products and clothing from scratch, I can pretty much guarantee you that you are coming into contact with more potentially harmful chemicals every day than you would receive in a single vaccine. If you drink water from any source, you are consuming chlorine and aluminum in small quantities. And even something as benign and essential as water can be toxic, if consumed in large quantities. Furthermore, your body actually already contains some of what are considered harmful ingredients, such as formaldehyde. 
The claim that vaccines contain aborted human fetus cells or animal cells is completely false. Multiple purification steps ensure that no cells are present in the final product. There is no antifreeze in vaccines either, but rather a single component of antifreeze called polyethylene glycol, which is also widely and safely used in personal care creams like skin creams and toothpaste. 
Prior to FDA approval, Vaccines go through significant clinical trials, involving tens of thousands of adults and children. Meaning that unless your child is immunocompromised, has allergies or is in any other way physically incapable of receiving vaccines, the chances of your child experiencing any side affects from the vaccine are slim to none. And even if you were to get sick after receiving your vaccines, having one of the diseases that the vaccine prevents would be MUCH worse and possibly fatal.
Your child may be perfectly healthy now. And I am certain that you as a parent want to do everything to keep them that way, hence the reason you question vaccines in the first place. But if your child has not received his vaccinations, he has a 90% chance of coming down with a disease, if around someone who is sick. Especially an airborne disease such as measles, is SO incredibly contagious. And people who have come down with measles can be contagious 4 days before and after the time that a rash is visible. A single sneeze could infect many people at once and the disease has contaminated a surface, like a door handle, it will remain contaminated for two hours.
I am pro-vaccines, so why would it matter to me if you don't vaccinate, you ask? Because my 11 month old son is still too young to receive his first MMR vaccine. Meaning he is highly susceptible. And he won't be able to get his second and final shot of the series until he is 4. You must also consider, that no vaccine is 100% effective. Some people are non-responsive to vaccines. There is still a chance of getting measles in a milder form if you're vaccinated. On top of this, there are many people, who are medically incapable of receiving vaccines, such as those with cancer or autoimmune diseases. These people rely on herd immunity to stay healthy. 
I am sorry to have to put this bluntly. But if your child were to come down with a disease and pass it on to my child and my child died from the disease, YOU would be responsible for my child's death. I know that sounds extreme, but it is a cold, hard fact. A fact that proves that it is not a personal choice. I am all for making parenting choices that suit your family, whether it's to breastfeed or formula feed, use cloth or disposable diapers, circumcise, not circumcise et cetera. But when your parenting choices also affect the health and lives of others, the line must be drawn. 
I am fully aware that people are going to make their own decisions, regardless of what anyone else says. But I am BEGGING you for the sake of your child's health, mine and others, that you educate yourself, using credible sources and talking to your doctor. I am also fully aware that I am no expert. I am not posting this because I am trying to be a know-it-all, or prove how wrong you are, but because I am concerned about the health and safety of not only my child, but yours. And if you still decide against vaccines, even if you are physically capable of receiving them, I don't want to argue with you, because I have wasted my time and breath so often during the past weeks since the Disneyland measles outbreak. Instead, I will kindly ask you to homeschool your children and keep them out of the general public, to ensure their safety and the safety of others. Thanks for taking the time to read my post.

References: http://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html http://www.immunize.org/bmj-deer-mmr-wakefield/ http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss6302a1.htm?s_cid=ss6302a1_w http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Concerns/Autism/antigens.html http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/faq http://www.immunize.org/concerns/vaccine_components.pdf http://www.harpocratesspeaks.com/2012/04/demystifying-vaccine-ingredients.html?m=1 http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/VaccineSafety/UCM096228