I vaccinate because my children are too important not to protect. As a pediatric RN, I've seen small babies and children struggle for their lives because of the choice of others not to vaccinate. It's a deadly choice for some. We vaccinate to protect ourselves and to protect vulnerable members of society who cannot be vaccinated. My four year old understands this well, and always ends a vaccine visit with a message for the nurse: "Thank you for keeping me healthy!" The truth is, the stakes are too high to choose anything else.