Considering I have recently given birth to my first child, I am interested in learning the risks of childhood vaccines and if they are necessary for the health of my child. A vaccine provides immunity from certain diseases by stimulating the production of antibodies using a synthetic substitute that does not induce the disease. Hearing news about vaccines having dangerous side effects also leads me to believe that vaccines are more harmful than helpful. For example, I choose not to receive a flu shot due to the possibility of getting sick. Although the rumors of vaccines causing damage to children are disturbing, does the risk of allowing a child to go without immunizations outweigh the potential side effects of the vaccine? Initially, I was concerned about dangerous illnesses related to vaccines, so I found an article using EBSCO host about a family who opted out of vaccines for their son. The family states that two out of their three children who received vaccines developed illnesses during or around the time the vaccines were administered. The mother says, "Vaccines contain GMO (genetically modified organisms) and formaldehyde" (Knudsen). The article acknowledges that, "One of them has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, and another is blind in one eye, a condition resulting from a swollen optic nerve that was discovered when the child was in kindergarten  (Knudsen). The family believes that these health issues are a direct result of the vaccines that were administered to the children at a young age, but the article also states that, "Studies have found no link between vaccines and autism  (Knudsen). Some other parents are beginning to delay vaccinations, because they feel that too many are given at one time. A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control showed that one in ten parents have refused vaccines for their young children because they fear the risk of autism (Knudsen). In additio