Should Public Health Be Mandatory Vaccination?

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.

Diseases and illnesses are studied constantly by doctors and scientists trying to find a cure for them. Plague and disease once ravaged our world killing thousands, with no hope or cure to prevent them from occurring. Today, however, is different. Technology is more advanced than ever, and people are living longer than ever before. Life expectancy in the United States has gone up by more than 30 years in the last decades. It isn’t by luck that many diseases now cease to exist, but through extensive studies, and research. The medical field is at the height of its studies with more people being cured of diseases than ever before. Most of this is to the credit of doctors and scientists developing vaccinations that help the body create antibodies, which help fight away diseases, and give the body immunity. I believe that forced vaccinations in children should be mandatory as they have the potential to prevent life threatening diseases, and save countless lives. Though many are against forced vaccinations and say they can cause mental illnesses or brain damage, this has not been proven. The rewards far out way the slight risk, if risk at all of the vaccination having side effects. The individuals who are not vaccinated are left vulnerable to illness, and can potentially infect those around them as well. Leaving scare of an epidemic, and wide spread of a virus. Forced vaccinations in the United States have been beneficial by preventing young children from contracting certain

In the United States, the Supreme Court ruled in Jacobson v. Massachusetts (1905) that states could “compel vaccination for the common good.” Historically, the safeguarding of the public health has been the chief responsibility of state and local governments. The authority to enact laws applicable to the safety of the public health originates from the state 's general police powers. With regard to communicable disease outbreaks, these powers may encompass the enactment of compulsory inoculation laws. Although present-day U.S. policies typically oblige children receive vaccinations before entering school, many states permit exemptions due to religious, personal, philosophical or health reasons. Still there is also Federal jurisdiction over public health issues as well.

In the 1850s the first school vaccination requirement were enacted to prevent smallpox. Federal and state efforts to eradicate measles in the 1960s and 1970s motivated many to mandate policies. By the 1990s, all 50 states requirement for children to be enrolled in school must receive certain immunizations and if these requirements were not met than children were not allowed to be enrolled in school (Center for Disease Control Prevention, 2010). For example, in the state of California, private public school or daycare cannot admit children unless vaccinations were received for all ten of the diseases. If the California Department of Public Health implements a requirement for vaccination parent can be allowed to obtain personal belief exemptions that would allow parents to opt out of vaccination for their children if form is filled out by healthcare professional that states vaccinations were countered to personal beliefs. This law has not been implemented as of yet but should be in 2016. The healthcare of policy decision in laws can have an influence on individuals based on the decision that are made. Health care policy and issues can affect providers and patients in many different ways. Stakeholders’ in the policymakers for vaccination main concern is the safety and health of children so the implement exemptions of laws from concern about vaccine

Jeffrey Kluger believes that “Vaccines save lives; fear endangers them. It's a parent need to keep hearing.” (“TIP Talk!” 2016) Vaccinations relate to the first amendment for more than one reason. One of the reasons being the first amendment relates to vaccinations because of freedom of religion. If a religion does not allow you to get vaccinated, and there is a mandatory vaccine for a child within that religion; you are breaking the first amendment’s laws of the constitution (“Vaccination & religious exemptions” 2018). A vaccine is a substance used to provide immunity against one or several diseases. Vaccinations were first

This is not to say that the conflict between the anti-vaccine movement (once again more of a set of ideologies) and the state mandated vaccinations did not cease. The 1922 case of Zucht v. King saw the expansion of compulsory vaccination to schoolchildren attending public school (a distinction that would come to the fore later in the 20th century (Colgrove & Bayer, 2005). Even as education took the front seat, public health still held the tools of quarantine

Today, thanks to state laws that required all children to be immunized before attending school, there aren’t many unvaccinated adults. However, there are individuals who still believe that vaccinations are not effective and may cause adverse effects. Although public health history has demonstrated the immense benefit of vaccines, compulsory vaccination is still not free of controversy. Thus, some states allow medical, religious, and even philosophical exemptions from immunizations (“Disease Eradication”,

In the past few years there has renewed interest in the whether all states should mandate mandatory childhood vaccinations for all children, except for those who qualify for a medical exemption. It brings forth the major issue of autonomy; of the parents right to choose versus the government right to protect its citizens. In recent years there have been reports about the rise in the number of new cases of vaccine preventable diseases e.g. Measles, Mumps, Pertussis, Pneumococcus. The major factor regarding parents refusing to have their children vaccinated is the belief or notation that vaccines cause autism and are harmful to children (Daum, 2014) (GBD 2013 Mortality and Causes of Death Collaborators, 2014)

The question is, should the government mandate vaccines? Those in favor of child vaccinations, believe that they are the greatest health developments of the 20th century. While those against them believe that a child’s immune system permits either a natural or acquired resistance to diseases than putting questionable toxic ingredients into a child’s body. In the US, 50 states require vaccinations for children entering public schools, though no mandatory federal vaccination laws exist. 50 states issue medical exemptions only (1), 48 states (excluding Mississippi and West Virginia) permit religious exemptions, and 31 states exclude Philosophical exemptions. (2)

A vaccine is a “suspension of weakened, killed, or fragmented microorganisms or toxins or of antibodies or lymphocytes” that is administered predominantly to thwart virus replication of a particular disease (Vaccine). It acts as a stimulant for the immune system of a human body which assists in developing adaptive immunity to a specific pathogen. Shockingly, vaccines themselves are created using components found in the virus or the bacteria itself (Offit). As of present, no federal vaccination laws exist in the United States of America although all states require children to be vaccinated against certain diseases before entering public schools. Exemptions are made based on religious and philosophical beliefs. Currently, most vaccines are administered by either intramuscular or subcutaneous injections, but sometimes, intradermal (in the skin), intranasal (through nasal structures) or oral (through the mouth) routes are used by doctors for administrational purposes (Winchell). The virus’ reproduction speed drops significantly once the antigen is successfully given to the infected person.

This being said, having a mandatory immunization policy disregards a parents right to decide what they believe is right for their child, since the child cannot decide for themselves. The right to self-determination is violated by the mandatory immunization policy that is invasive and denies the opportunity and right to make decisions about their children’s health and well-being (Dubov & Phung,

1A vaccination is used to stimulate ones immune system and provide resistance from infections.2Many people believe that vaccinations need to be mandatory to prevent mass outbreaks and pandemonium much like the measles outbreak of December 2014. 3In spite of preventable outbreaks, many others deflect the idea of vaccinations because they believe that they are “unsafe”. 4Accoring to the Editorial Board for USA Today, mandatory vaccinations, such as the measles vaccination, are positively affective and only .5% of its recipients have experienced major and crucial side effects. 5Although it is understandable to opt out of a vaccination for religious reasons, we must analyze the impact that unvaccinated children have on the entire community. 6The

Should children’s health be at risk for the greater good of community health? The news today is full of tragic stories about complications of vaccine use and there have been injuries from the beginning of vaccine use due to incomplete data on the side effects. The injuries have also brought about changes in the way vaccines are manufactured. The Georgia State Government requires citizens to receive vaccines in order to attend day care, go to school, and work at certain jobs and each state has its own mandates as well. The only way to get around the vaccine is to claim religious or medical exception. For either of these exceptions, one has to have a notarized affidavit for religious exception or a

Vaccines are substances which stimulate antibodies to be produced and provide immunity to diseases, they are supposed to act as an antigen without giving the patient the actual disease; unfortunately the health risks associated with some of them make getting vaccines a much more complex decision. Within America, throughout the past hundred plus years, the idea of vaccinations have become increasingly popular, especially for children of very young ages. Recent studies have proven that some mandatory vaccines, especially when given in a short intervals, can lead to severe and chronic health problems. Since there have been so many studies proving that certain mandatory vaccines are severely harmful to one 's health, a question arises: why are those vaccines mandatory? In order to resolve this problem, there are two solutions: either pass a bill making all vaccines, that have been proven to have negative and chronic side effects, optional, and take other precautions in preventing outbreaks of diseases or make vaccines less harmful to our health. Either of these options would lead to a more healthy outcome in the long run, so for the most effective outcome, using both of these methods in conjunction would be the most beneficial.

To fully understand the argument for mandated vaccinations, it is important to understand how different States define the word, “mandate,” and the Supreme Court’s reasoning behind upholding vaccination laws. Many would associate the word “mandate” with an order or command, or something that signifies requirement or inexcusableness, but States’