Should vaccinations be mandatory?
It is accepted by all except the most ardent science hating quacks that vaccinations work and play a vital role in preventing various diseases. A recent story about a bunch of people who caught measles in disneyland shows the danger of not getting vaccinated, as the vast majority of those that caught it were unvaccinated.
Most people also agree it is a persons right to make their own health choices and you should not force an individual to take certain treatments against their will. That is all well and good when you are dealing with your own health. However when the issue is one that affects the health of others, the dynamic changes. Part of how vaccines work is by creating a herd immunity, so those who don't have the correct response to the vaccinations or simply can't/won't take them have a much less chance of encountering the disease and thus are protected too. Many people now compared to the past are choosing not to get vaccinated. This isn't putting just themselves at risk, they are also putting others at risk by breaking the herd immunity.
Bearing in mind their action or rather inaction is making it more likely that harm can come to others, should vaccines be mandatory or at least linked with certain incentives, eg certain benefits are cut off if vaccination is denied.
Most people also agree it is a persons right to make their own health choices and you should not force an individual to take certain treatments against their will. That is all well and good when you are dealing with your own health. However when the issue is one that affects the health of others, the dynamic changes. Part of how vaccines work is by creating a herd immunity, so those who don't have the correct response to the vaccinations or simply can't/won't take them have a much less chance of encountering the disease and thus are protected too. Many people now compared to the past are choosing not to get vaccinated. This isn't putting just themselves at risk, they are also putting others at risk by breaking the herd immunity.
Bearing in mind their action or rather inaction is making it more likely that harm can come to others, should vaccines be mandatory or at least linked with certain incentives, eg certain benefits are cut off if vaccination is denied.
Comments235
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Yes. Anybody who refuses is no doubt doing so for unscientific reasons and is endangering themselves and others. Parents who refuse to vaccinate their children are even worse, and I consider them guilty of child endangerment. Vaccinations absolutely must be made mandatory.
YES!!!I'm giving birth in two weeks and having to worry about measles, varicelle, the freaking FLU, avian flu (some idiot couple went to Asia and brought it back) is terrifying right now. I should have the right to sleep and not have to worry about the actions of other parents. My two older kids are vaccinated but for measles they don't get their full shots till they are 18 months. That's 18 months of panicking and suffering. IT'S NOT FAIR!
i think that ones for deadly/serious ones should be mandatory for everyone. less serious ones like the flu should be mandatory for children, doctors, and government workers.
i think an important thing most anti-vaxxers rarely take into account is that there is more than one version for most vaccines, and not being able to take one vaccine doesn't mean you can't take any vaccines ever.
i think an important thing most anti-vaxxers rarely take into account is that there is more than one version for most vaccines, and not being able to take one vaccine doesn't mean you can't take any vaccines ever.
The reason they don't forcibly vaccinate is because all vaccines have side effects, which usually include death for a percentage of those that take them. Gardisil is a prime example, it only gives partial protection and only for a limited time and an ever growing list of deaths and disabilities is linked to it. If people were forced by the state to have it then the state would be responsible for their deaths and the compensation would go from millions to billions, as someone choosing to take a dangerous product is a million miles away from someone being murdered with it.
wow. this is exactly what anti vaxxers claim which is not true.
I have all the papers from all my kids vaccines explaining the side effects. NONE side effect causes death.
The only one was the H1N that was causing a parasite that might produce death in 1 child out of 1 billion. No kidding I have the paper.
I have all the papers from all my kids vaccines explaining the side effects. NONE side effect causes death.
The only one was the H1N that was causing a parasite that might produce death in 1 child out of 1 billion. No kidding I have the paper.
one should assume that people who can't get certain specific ones for medical reasons would not be forced to get those. primarily because it'd be retarded to think that "make them take it even if it kills them" would make it into any law book
besides that, there's more than one version of most vaccines for literally that reason. i can't take live vaccines, or else i can't take medication i need. the solution for me is to take the dead one. not quite as effective, but better than not getting vaccinated.
besides that, there's more than one version of most vaccines for literally that reason. i can't take live vaccines, or else i can't take medication i need. the solution for me is to take the dead one. not quite as effective, but better than not getting vaccinated.
which usually include death for a percentage of those that take them.
Do you have supporting evidence for that statement, or is that too much to ask? What percentage?
What I have read is that there has been 1 death per 1,000,000 doses, and no proof that there is a causual relationship.
Does the number who die exceed the number who would die from cervical, anal, vulvar, vaginal and penile cancers that might occur if the HPV vaccine was not being used?
Do you have supporting evidence for that statement, or is that too much to ask? What percentage?
What I have read is that there has been 1 death per 1,000,000 doses, and no proof that there is a causual relationship.
Does the number who die exceed the number who would die from cervical, anal, vulvar, vaginal and penile cancers that might occur if the HPV vaccine was not being used?
there are a few people who can't be vaccinated with certain vaccines or certain versions of certain vaccines for various reasons. www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/s… but there isn't really anyone who couldn't get any vaccines ever.
I think some already are (aren't they for schools and what not?).
However, I would like to make the choice personally weather to vaccinate or not. However, I might be initially a little leery because I had some relatives who had different allergies to certain vaccines (Penicillin most commonly).
I've had doctors who forced treatment on me before, so I not always so trusting. Way to many medical mistakes in my family.
However, I would like to make the choice personally weather to vaccinate or not. However, I might be initially a little leery because I had some relatives who had different allergies to certain vaccines (Penicillin most commonly).
I've had doctors who forced treatment on me before, so I not always so trusting. Way to many medical mistakes in my family.
Penicillin is not a vaccine...
sorry I meant to say " Penicillin prophylaxis and vaccines".
You probably mean "anaphylaxis". Prophylaxis with any antibiotic would be a horrible, horrible idea, and no one does it.
And it has nothing whatsoever to do with vaccines. If someone is genuinely allergic to one vaccine formulation or another, they of course would not have to receive it. Any sensible vaccine requirement makes allowance for situations where they're medically contraindicated.
And it has nothing whatsoever to do with vaccines. If someone is genuinely allergic to one vaccine formulation or another, they of course would not have to receive it. Any sensible vaccine requirement makes allowance for situations where they're medically contraindicated.
maybe
I feel like they should. Vaccines hurt like Hell, but you know what? We NEED to stop diseases before they stop us.
In terms of the parent I believe they should be able to choose whether their child/children get vaccinated or not, and if their kid(s) receive irreparable damage to themselves the parents cannot blame it on anyone but themselves.
If only an unvaccinated child in public schools did not endanger the health of other children, you might have a point.
If my kid was sick they would not be going to school. Especially with the diseases vaccinations prevent. Its not that i'm against vaccinations, but the principal that people should be able to parent there children in the ways they feel best.
Your kid is contagious long before he has noticeable symptoms. He could be spreading the black death before he even has a fever.
And again, it's not about your kid. It's about mine. Keep your little unvaccinated virus factory away from my immunocompromised son, and we're fine. But as long as you're sending him to public school, it's functionally impossible to do that. You want to keep him unvaccinated? Fine. Homeschool him.
And again, it's not about your kid. It's about mine. Keep your little unvaccinated virus factory away from my immunocompromised son, and we're fine. But as long as you're sending him to public school, it's functionally impossible to do that. You want to keep him unvaccinated? Fine. Homeschool him.
ahhhh I was wondering if the diseases are contagious before symptoms. I certainly support vaccines but the principal is what I support also.
The thing is, on numerous occassions parents have made choices that have resulted in childrens deaths. This isn't honest mistake choices but choices because they are thick as shit and too stubborn to accept that. Children have died because their parents decided medicine could do nothing and simply prayed, children have died because they haven't had a whole range of medical treatments and now children could die because some parents think they know best about vaccines.
It comes down to the question, what is more important; a parents control over their childrens life or the child being alive in the first place.
It comes down to the question, what is more important; a parents control over their childrens life or the child being alive in the first place.
It's a little more complicated than that.
If it were just the impact on individuals, that would be fine, but there can be others around them in a community (who might be susceptible to a disease) who cannot be vaccinated (too young, compromised immunity systems) and un-vaccinated people are a risk to them.
The only way it would be ok is to make participation in social situations, like school, child-care, summer camps, etc reliant on production of vaccination records.
I'm not sure how Disneyland is going to handle it, this measles scare must be affecting their bottom line already and they might need to do something to reassure visitors.
If it were just the impact on individuals, that would be fine, but there can be others around them in a community (who might be susceptible to a disease) who cannot be vaccinated (too young, compromised immunity systems) and un-vaccinated people are a risk to them.
The only way it would be ok is to make participation in social situations, like school, child-care, summer camps, etc reliant on production of vaccination records.
I'm not sure how Disneyland is going to handle it, this measles scare must be affecting their bottom line already and they might need to do something to reassure visitors.
Very good point. If I decided to not get my kids vaccinated and that kid was sick, they would be staying home until they got better XD. I personally believe vaccinations are fine but I also believe parents should have the choice of what they think is best for their kids.
I read what you're saying, but I also wonder whether parents are always right in their actions on their children's behalf.
As an example, here in Australia, we have very tight seat-belt and child safety restraint laws to protect kids when they are travelling in cars. Yet I know of parents who would be happy to drive around with an 18 month old child sitting in their lap, no seatbelts, no thought for child safety. She'll be right, would be their refrain, and mostly, they might be right.
However, if there was any accident, the child would become a projectile and very likely die. What would you think is the right response to that situation? Should we trust the judgement of that parent? The parent might be a wonderfully safe driver, and the kid might never become an accident statistic, but should we allow the parent driver to make that decision on behalf of their child?
As an example, here in Australia, we have very tight seat-belt and child safety restraint laws to protect kids when they are travelling in cars. Yet I know of parents who would be happy to drive around with an 18 month old child sitting in their lap, no seatbelts, no thought for child safety. She'll be right, would be their refrain, and mostly, they might be right.
However, if there was any accident, the child would become a projectile and very likely die. What would you think is the right response to that situation? Should we trust the judgement of that parent? The parent might be a wonderfully safe driver, and the kid might never become an accident statistic, but should we allow the parent driver to make that decision on behalf of their child?