Your health is a deeply personal affair. Your habits, health care access, and family history all play a significant role. However, one place where health care is generally uniform is vaccines. For now, we have a choice as to whether to take the new COVID-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, all states have a list of vaccinations for several diseases that are mandatory once children enter public school. Although most states allow parents to waive this requirement for religious or medical reasons, opting out is strongly discouraged. To some health experts, vaccination is the most important advance in public health—right up there with indoor plumbing, and modern surgical techniques. Vaccinations are promoted as a type of preventative measure designed to protect the population from a variety of devastating illnesses. Yet, despite the benefits that vaccines promise, this common procedure has become controversial. The core issue is safety. Informational inserts that accompany vaccines warn …