Recently, there has been news regarding Andrew Speaker, the man who boarded an airplane despite his tuberculosis diagnosis.

Passengers on board are still being tested and, as of yet, no new cases have been reported. The scare it has caused, however, is affecting people all over the world.

Cases like these are constant reminders of the fact that diseases out there still exist, and with the ways people can travel to so many places and come in contact with thousands of people is just another reminder that getting vaccinated is one of the most important things a parent can do for their child and themselves.

The adverse effects vaccinations may have on children have led many to question the authority of the government to administer vaccinations to children, as well as to all individuals. The adverse effects on individuals should be kept in reasonable perspective, however, in light of what an outbreak of a disease could do in the U.S. resulting from some parents' decisions not to vaccinate their children.

According to the group Michigan Opposing Mandatory Vaccines, or MOM, Michigan is one of 17 states that still continues to support the right of parents and individuals to make their own vaccination choices. Michigan law states parents or guardians can give their child exemption from immunization based on religious or other objections.

The question left to answer is why Michigan continues to allow parents to choose against vaccines because of a philosophical excuse, when the decision they make effects more than just the child not receiving the vaccine?

Groups like MOM have worked hard to keep the option open. MOM's main reason for choosing to oppose mandatory vaccinations is "all citizens should have the right to make their own health care choices."

Groups like MOM fail to see that while they do have the right to make their own health care decisions, the decision of whether or not to vaccinate is not just an individual decision if it can end up negatively affecting thousands of other people. By one person choosing not to vaccinate their child, they are risking the health of many others. There has to be a line drawn somewhere that says one person's right to choose is not more important than the lives and choices of other people.

Other people choose not to vaccinate their children in fear of neurological disorders that could result from vaccinations, such as autism. Mercury was claimed to be the culprit of the large boom of autism cases in recent years.

Although it is no longer used in most vaccines, it has been shown by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, as well as other reputable medical organizations, that a link connecting the two is not there. So why does the myth and fear of autism continue to guide some parents against vaccinating their children?

Arthur Caplan, a bioethics professor at the University of Pennsylvania, states the reason clearly by saying such excuses "have really been motivated by a distrust of medicine, science, government and experts - a distrust that has little to do with scientific studies or expert opinions."

It is sometimes forgotten how disease can affect a person, because vaccinations have prevented so many deadly ones from being seen in public schools today. Diseases like smallpox have not been seen in more than 20 years. It is easy to forget the risk when the disease is not seen, yet it should not be forgotten. They still exist and can infect a person at any time.

Parents often only see the adverse effects vaccinations cause, and in turn, fail to see the true benefits of them. While there are a few people who have reactions to a vaccination, without the vaccination many others would be affected.

Vaccines may not be able to completely prevent an infection, but it greatly reduces the severity and limits the frequency of the disease. While good hygiene and antibiotics have greatly reduced the number of deaths in the United States, vaccines are still one of the most important tools we have to protect the health of children and other individuals.

Vaccinations have changed the lives of the public in positive ways. But if some parents continue to decide against them because of fear, the safety from disease the U.S. has created will diminish.

Looking at the costs and benefits of vaccination, it should be an easy choice to choose vaccination for a child. If some parents want to play games with the health of their child, and hope their child does not catch a disease that can easily be preventable, that is fine. But not when they start to play with the children of other people.

Roxanne Dewyer is an MSU anthropology senior and State News columnist. Reach her at dewyerro@msu.edu.