I wasn't talking about things like flu vaccine which I consider an unnecessary vaccine except for those in particular risk groups. I could have it at work, but I don't. If I was a severe asthmatic or had a chronic respiratory problem I might. Nor was I talking about the more obscure vaccines but the standard childhood preventative ones. I mean things like measles, mumps, rubella, polio. Diseases that have very severe consequences. I see you are from Australia so you may not have come across the hysteria that surrounded the MMR vaccine in the UK. The subsequent fall out from this has led to a number of children developing serious illnesses, from which they may die or suffer permanent long term effects which could have been prevented by vaccination.

When I say damaging, I don't mean the kind of short term side effects you may get with any kind of medication, such as anaphalaxis or other allergic reactions, systemic or localised. I was thinking of the kind of hysteria which surrounded the MMR vaccine in the UK. ill judged, poorly reported and based on such poor science that it lead to the doctor responsible being struck off.

if you really want some balanced information on vaccines and their side effects, including some of the more obscure or unusual ones, you could do worse than look here

Vaccines: Vac-Gen/Side Effects

The fault for not getting vaccinated lies with the individuals not getting vaccinated or those responsible for them in the case of children. You can't blame the drug companies or the medical profession because someone chooses to be irresponsible about their health after reading an article in the daily mirror. Medical practitioners are under an obligation to report adverse drug reactions and the evidence out there is considerable, accessible and available. You just have to go and look for it. I would dispute that an unvaccinated individual in a vaccinated community is safer not being vaccinated. I would like to see your evidence.They can still come into contact with carriers of the disease and the statistical evidence is overwhelmingly in favour of vaccination except in certain very specific individuals for certain specific vaccinations.

No way to young, i have worked all over the West coast of Africa and have had some pretty bad food poisoning in which i was in a real bad way for 10+ days and lost over 6kg's. I was drinking hot water with sugar spending all day on the toilet or laying down on the bathroom floor expecting to die shortly.

Also malaria risk and would you want a young 2 year old to take that anti malaria sh@t