Most people have at least one memory of getting immunized as a child. Mine were done in school. Scores of children lined up, little pieces of paper in their hand that were soon exchanged for a small white strip of gauze held over a newly pierced arm. It was somehow a right of passage; you may not have understood everything, but you understood that it was "for your own good."

Nowadays, most immunizations are given in the doctor's office and it's the parent who has to keep track of all the shots a child has or hasn't had and when, which can be incredibly confusing. To complicate it further, rumors about a connection between immunizations and autism persist, making parents more than a bit nervous.

Kelly Pollard from Livermore, Calif., is one of those parents. "It was one of the first major decisions I had to make as a mom," says Pollard. "I read tons of parenting magazines and books when I was pregnant. Occasionally, I'd come across immunization articles citing pros or cons, sometimes only cons. What scared me most of all was the big A word: autism."

Pollard did more research and decided to go ahead and have her child immunized. "After really considering it, I realized that for me, the benefits outweighed the possible risks," says Pollard. "I figured my son had more of a chance of coming down with a nasty virus/disease from crowds than the very slim possibility that he may or may not have a nasty side effect from the shots."

Content on this site is not a substitute for professional medical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment, and may not be used for such purposes. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical question or condition. Reliance on information presented on this site is at your own risk. This site contains the opinions and views of other users. Given the interactive nature of this site, we cannot endorse, guarantee, or be responsible for the accuracy, efficacy, or veracity of any content generated by our users.