Twenty-seven states have exemptions from vaccinations for either religious or personal reasons (citation needed). The issue of respecting people’s rights is a fundamental issue. But it is also a major ethical issue, pitting the wishes of individuals against the needs of the community. Immunization by vaccine saves enumerable of lives (is there a way to cite this?). Due to the protective benefits of vaccines, it is essential that as many people as possible receive vaccinations. There should be as few obstacles as possible to such a program in order to save as many lives as possible. Many argue that the government should not be able to force an individual to be stuck with a needle. Additionally, many explain that it is their personal choice,
Between 1924 and 2013, vaccinations prevented 103 million cases of polio, measles, rubella, mumps, hepatitis A, diphtheria, and pertussis (Bailey). Vaccinating is “the process by which pathogenic cells are injected into a healthy person in an attempt to cause the body to develop antibodies to a particular virus or bacterium—successful creation of antibodies is referred to as immunity to the disease caused by the particular pathogen” (Introduction to Should Vaccinations be Mandatory). Popular conflicts regarding vaccination include the worry that this form of immunization isn’t natural, the idea that vaccination schedule for children in the U.S. takes away parents’ rights to make decisions for their children, and the concern that vaccinations aren’t safe for all children. Most doctors and scientists advocate for vaccinations in the name of herd immunity, protection against foreign diseases and prevention against pockets of disease outbreaks. Vaccinations should be mandatory for all children in the United States for who they are deemed safe and effective.
While supporting the voluntary immunization for children and defending the right to have information regarding the risk involved with vaccines, the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) oppose the elimination of or possible barriers of entry to obtain Non-Medical Exemptions. In an effort to reduce vaccine related injuries and/or death and support those who do not want to receive vaccines due to personal, spiritual, or religious beliefs, the NVIC supports the right to Non-Medical Exemptions. The primary purpose of this paper is to analyze the safety, efficacy, and economic burden of vaccines, as well as the right to choice in regards to Non-Medical Exemptions.
An ethical consideration that is important to recognize is respect for persons. This means to respect others’ beliefs. If the individual cannot be vaccinated due to religion, then he or she has the right to opt out from the procedure with valid confirmation. This relates to the policy because one of the exemptions is religion. Also, if the person refuses to be vaccinated, then law enforcement cannot use physical violence to force the individual to be vaccinated.
Should vaccines be required in the United States for children to attend school? Vaccinations should be mandatory for all children of the United Sates who wish to attend school. Today American parents refuse to vaccinate their children due to a wide variety of unfounded fears. Firstly, adverse reactions to vaccines are extremely rare. Secondly, vaccines create immunity for the community and for future generations to come. Lastly, vaccines save children and their parents’ time and money. In conclusion, vaccinations are extremely critical to the control and eradication of deadly infectious
Mandatory vaccinations in public school in my opinion play a major role in children’s lives. They are safe and effective, they protect others we care about, and will protect our future generations. Throughout the years there have been thousands and thousands of children’s lives lost due to outbreaks of diseases such as polio and the measles causing many deaths among young children. Vaccinations that have become effective over the years, limiting these diseases if not getting rid of them period are the most effective way to get rid of these diseases. However, there are still some parents that refuse to have their child/children vaccinated due to their own beliefs. In this passage you will find out how these mandatory vaccinations are
Parents these days have been deciding that their child shouldn't get their vaccinations, do to being expensive. Many kids around the U.S. haven't been vaccinated and started to get diseases, do to parents being afraid of vaccinations. Should children get mandatory vaccinations? I clearly say yes, do too all of these reasons.
"In the United States, the childhood immunization schedule recommends that children receive approximately 15 vaccinations by 19 months of age, and it specifies ages for administration of each vaccination dose" (Luman, Barker, McCauley, & Drews-Botsch, 2005, p. 1367). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a vaccine is "a product that produces immunity therefore protecting the body from the disease" (Vaccines and Immunizations, 2015). Currently, there are many individuals advocating for and opposing the effects of the administration of vaccinations and immunizations in the United States. There are both legal and ethical issues surrounding the controversy, which include both deliberate and exogenous reasons not to vaccinate, and the mandatory nature that is required by many schooling districts and places of employment. Within this paper, I will discuss some legal implications surrounding vaccination, ethical debates that are current in the topic, as well as my point of view regarding immunizations and vaccinations.
Likewise, some people should not receive vaccinations. These individuals should not receive vaccinations due to their age, health conditions, among other factors. These other conditions are independent depending on the type of vaccination received. “They can range from an individual who cannot swallow, to a pregnant woman, to a person with a life-threatening allergy, to a component in the vaccination” (Hales 543). A small percentage of individuals do not respond to a particular vaccine. ”All states provide medical exemptions, and some state laws also offer exemptions for religious and philosophical reasons” (State Vaccination Requirements). “Some religions even prevent certain parents from vaccinating their children because of their belief that the disease is a naturally occurring thing and humans have no right interfering with it” (Hales 544). However, most state laws establish vaccination requirements for school children. These laws apply to public schools, private schools, and day care centers. “State laws also establish mechanisms for enforcement of school vaccination requirements” (State Vaccination Requirement). “Vaccines save
According to the law, doctors must keep children and teens up-to-date on all of their vaccinations to ensure that diseases do not spread throughout a school or community. However, many parents are questioning whether the board of health has the right to require children to receive a vaccine. Kohrs explains that “the problem with these regulations in today’s society places the boards of health at odds with the civil liberties and rights of each citizen.” However, he also explains that “an individual may invoke [religious] exemption where compulsory treatment for life-threatening diseases violates his or her religious belief or it is forbidden by their religion,” or they can receive philosophical exemption (Kohrs). This type of exemption “is
Measles. Polio. Smallpox. The flu. Imagine the world when vaccines were yet to be created. There was a time when people lived in fear of dreadful diseases. Thanks to the introduction of vaccines, many of those devastating diseases have been nearly or completely wiped out. Despite these results, for some people, the question remains: should we vaccinate? Today, I will be discussing the development of the first vaccine, global benefits, and the anti-vaccine movement.
Recent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States have drawn attention to this epidemic. While vaccine acceptance remains high in general, fear of vaccines has grown dramatically in many developed countries. In some communities, this fear has led to significantly increased rates of vaccine refusal which are associated with increases in illness and death from vaccine-preventable diseases. Given the risk to the public health these perceptions produce, and consistent with well-established legal principles supporting government action to protect the common good, society has the right and responsibility to
It is hard to imagine that one needs to be immune to most harmful diseases before beginning school in the U.S., and even more so for a child, but the reality. A child before beginning school must have: polio, measles, rubella, smallpox, and whooping cough vaccinations, which those and others are mandatory for a child to have before entering a public school in a majority of the states (“Should any vaccinations be required for children?”). Thus, it is clear that vaccinations are important for a child’s health and that of society as a whole. The California Legislator, for example, on March 31, 2016 “responded smartly to a measles outbreak last year by adopting a law that will ban ‘personal belief’ vaccination exemptions for students starting in July” (The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board). It is within do time that similar actions would be taken by other states who find the actions to hold some advantage. The article continues by stating, “ Gov. Jerry Brown and most state lawmakers held firm, knowing the importance of having nearly everyone vaccinated to maintain ‘herd immunity’ to infectious diseases” (The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board). Hence, soon the opinion of the guardian to not vaccinate their children will be terminated and any belief of why one should not vaccinate the children omitted. The action of making vaccinations mandatory by issuing an ordinance and oppressing the beliefs of the people in any conflicting way is something that is immoral and
To be vaccinated or not to be vaccinated, that is the question. Since the invention of the vaccine, People have wondered, is the government allowed to require people to be vaccinated? Is a person’s health and the health of the people that they have stewardship over their responsibility or should the government regulate even that? How much control should the government be given? While it is true that vaccines may be beneficial in certain situations, the government should not be allowed to require mandatory vaccinations for a child before that child is given the right to attend school.
One has a right to his own body and to make his own medical choices. However, one does not have the right to cause harm to those around him. This paper will explain why one does not have the right to choose not to be vaccinated or not to vaccinate his children because the health of society outweighs the right to make a medical decision. Vaccinations, which are substances given to help provide immunity from certain diseases, are a controversial topic in the United States. After the outbreak of measles at Disneyland many Americans are very vocal about the need for vaccinations. However, one scientific study has caused many to shy away from vaccines. The rate of childhood vaccinations has remained at 90 percent; however, it has fallen far below this in certain communities, which health professionals say could be disastrous (Haberman).
For Americans vaccinations have become the standard for living a healthy, longer, and more enjoyable life. In the era of modern medical technology vaccines continue to be created to improved lives, in turn the guidelines that the government imposees on them should also improve. The ultimate goal of governing a society is to help benefit as many individuals it possibly can and in the case of vaccinations it is to create the optimal system of rules to achieve that goal. Such protocol needs to prevent the spread of disease by restricting privileges such as not allowing children without vaccinations to attend school, giving religious groups who do not support vaccinations the ability to override vaccine policy, regulations for employers or companies that require up to date vaccinations for employees or applicants, and lastly what type of test are performed to ensure users that it is a product that one wouldn't feel uncomfortable not take.