Vaccines

I know this is a much debated subject and usually I don't really get involved but I came across an article today and I really need to get this off my chest. If I offend anyone, I'm really sorry but you have to understand this is coming from someone in the medical community. I see a lot of sick people. Granted, I don't work in pediatrics, but I have friends who do. I digress. The point of my story today is, I came across an article titled, "Whooping Cough Outbreak May Be Biggest in 55 Years". Why is this you ask? Many people are so terrified their kid is going to become autistic because of tainted vaccines. So many people are opting out of vaccinating their children. Is that their choice? Of course. Are there going to be consequences? Absolutely. Hence the name of the article. A while back at work, we had an older guy who had whooping cough. Who gets whooping cough when they are older?! Again, sorry if I offend anyone who doesn't vaccinate their kids. I just want people to think about the consequences of not vaccinating their kids. It may not be a big deal for a few years because most of the other kids are still getting vaccinated. However... in time, with more and more kids not getting protected from preventable diseases, we're going to see outbreaks of polio, measles, mumps, rubella, etc. People in healthcare haven't seen a case of these diseases in a long time. We probably wouldn't even know how to treat them because that's why we get our immunizations. I understand there is fear (thanks to media and celebrities who know everything) but think of the big picture. Honestly, there is no evidence linking autism to vaccines. I'm not going to cite my references but if you really want it... I'll give it you. Again, this is a personal choice, I just had to get this off my chest.