In the United States right now, it is up to the States to decide the policy regarding vaccination mandates and the exemptions that are permitted.
When vaccination mandates first came around, people were skeptical of the new technology, but also the fact that the government had the right to tell them what to put into their bodies. A Supreme Court case in Massachusetts came to the conclusion that vaccination mandates are for the individual, but more importantly, for the public health. The state has a responsibility to protect the health of the public; therefore, the state has the right to issue vaccination mandates.
When it comes to the government telling people what to do with their bodies, people get a little uneasy. If they can do this, what stops them from going further in the future? I don’t think we can let the fear of what will happen in the future hold us back from passing laws now that will save lives.
With a topic this controversial, there are some built in exemptions that individuals can apply for. Medical exemptions are perhaps the most important. It has been proven that, for certain individuals, vaccinations may cause more harm than good, due to allergies, weakened immune systems, or other conditions. For this reason, every state allows individuals to file for a medical exemption from the vaccination mandates with a doctor’s approval.
Another issue people generally have with vaccinations is the fact that they may go against certain religions. What I find interesting is that there are laws in place that do restrict a person from practicing their religious beliefs. For example, some religions may deem it part of their beliefs that they must kill another person or group of people; yet murder is still illegal. In the United States, individuals have the right to practice their religion, unless their doing so puts another person in harms way. In terms of vaccinations, not complying puts the public at risk, if the number of vaccinated individuals drops below a certain level. However, in all but two states, religious exemptions are permitted, sometimes with the support of a religious leader or sponsor, or with defense of their beliefs. Changing this would be very difficult because of the controversial nature of the issue.
Where I really begin to question the policies for many states are the personal belief exemptions that 17 states allow. In general, any other objections fall into this category, and many times it is just a form that allows a person to go unvaccinated. While I understand the concerns some people have about vaccinations, this part has always seemed a little odd to me. Say, for example, we are looking at laws regarding breaking and entering, or theft. What if I personally believe that I should be able to walk into anyone’s home and take what I’d like, without punishment. Should I be able to be exempt from that law, because I believe it isn’t fair, or right? I know it’s not the same thing, but my point is, once the government decides to issue the mandate, how is there a way for a person to say, “Eh I don’t like that law, so I’m not going to follow it.”
A cnn.com article cited the CDC, saying that, at this point, nearly 8 out of 10 parents believe that parents should be required to vaccinate their children against preventable diseases. But is 8 enough. I mentioned that there was a critical fraction of the population that must be vaccinated, in order for herd immunity to take effect. Now, this number is different for every disease, but just looking at measles, that number is around 94%.
While the vaccination mandates that are in place generally keep that number up pretty high in the general population, many times, it isn’t high enough. Recall that there are 17 states that allow for personal belief exemptions. What if getting rid of these exemptions could bring that number up to the point where a disease can’t spread throughout the population? That might just be the answer we need.
I strongly believe that the government should not be able to mandate whether or not someone gets a vaccination, but I think it is stupid of people to not get vaccinations when they have the option to do so. It would be nice to have diseases be eliminated, but mandating that someone is vaccinated goes against personal liberties. Logically, it makes sense to have everyone vaccinated, but personal liberties shouldn’t be violated.
The exemptions exist because parents don’t see an immediate threat to the health from disease but from complications they believe develop from vaccinations like autism. In terms of religion a lot of people think god will save them and we get into a moral argument, do we want our government to protect our freedoms or security. I’m sure if their children got sick they would reconsider, I was just reading something on Reddit that said a mother who was a strong anti-vaccination person is vaccinating her kids after all of seven of them got whooping cough.
Your point about how it’s legal to practice any religion in the US so long as it doesn’t harm anyone is very interesting. I remember learning about a supreme court case (I can’t quite remember what it was called) in which a Native American group was prohibited from smoking peyote, despite its religious significance. It’s interesting how that wasn’t allowed, but potentially putting an entire population at risk for infectious disease is.
I don’t believe that exemptions for vaccinations are ridiculous. Vaccines save lives. Not getting your child vaccinated puts other children at risk for catching an illness. States should make vaccinations mandatory so that the number can be brought up to a point where the disease can no longer spread.