This article is about the amount of unvaccinated children in California, and whether or not vaccination should be manditory. It focuses on a father's concerns about his son with leukemia being exposed to diseases from his schoolmates. However, up to this point, vaccinations have be easy to opt out of for parents in California. Now, the state government is enforcing slightly stricter rules, like requiring a signature from a doctor, in the hope that parents will let their children will be vaccinated. Should the California (and other states) make laws that make vaccinations manditory for all children who are able, for the sake of other children? Should the vaccinations continue to be left up to the parents?
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/29/us/father-of-boy-with-leukemia-asks-california-school-officials-to-bar-unvaccinated-students.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
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I think that vaccinations should be mandatory for all children unless they have some sort of medical condition that prevents them from being vaccinated. If there are children that do not have their vaccines, they could spread diseases to other children, causing problems for everyone. While it is true that people should always have a choice, the choice should be made for them when their actions can cause harm to others, and that is what is happening with children who do not have vaccines. There has been no real proven link between vaccines and autism, so there is no valid reason why children do not get their vaccines. As long as a child is healthy enough, he or she should always get his or her vaccines.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the previous comments, I think vaccinations should be made mandatory. It is such an available and beneficial aspect of medicine. I don't see why parents wouldn't vaccinate their children. Not only is it protecting their children themselves, but it also protecting other children around them. I also think in this father's case, he has every right to be upset about the lack of vaccination since his child is more susceptible to catching illnesses.
ReplyDeleteI do think it is important to vaccinate children to protect them and the children around them. I do have a problem with the whole mandatory thing. I do think it is a parent's choice whether or not to vaccinate their child. Making it mandatory can go against their beliefs regarding health and medicine. At the same time there are certain vaccinations that i think should be mandatory. The problem is that which vaccinations is my opinion and everyone has their own. It would be difficult to decide which should and which shouldn't be mandatory.
ReplyDeleteI think vaccinations should be mandatory for all students. I really don't understand why a parent wouldn't want their children to be properly protected from deadly diseases. If parents decide not to vaccinate their kids then they are putting not only their child in danger, but also anyone that child interacts with. In this case, the father has every right to be upset because he clearly cares deeply about his son and wants to see him have his best chance of survival.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone in this thread. Vaccinations are very important to society and the health implications of not only one child but the whole group. It is a gift that our youth have longer life expectancies now then they did 100 years ago, a gift that most people have access to and should be able to recognize as the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteI find it completely disgusting that parents would choose to endanger the lives of their children and children in the community by not having their children vaccinated. The scientific community has thoroughly debunked any sort of correlation between vaccination and autism. Even if there was some sort of limited correlation, the benefits of vaccinations would still be paramount. I believe that stricter standards need to be set for allowing vaccination exemption.
ReplyDeleteSince our country strictly regulates vaccines, not vaccinating children is simply careless. Not only can it affect the child's health, but it can also affect the health of those around them. I read a similar article about a family who contracted measles from an unvaccinated child while traveling in Disney Land. The daughter in this family had blood cancer and was on a three week break from chemotherapy. This had prevented her from getting the vaccine. She also had a 8 month old little brother who was too young to be vaccinated and a mother who was didn't react to the vaccine. They all got measles just because one parent chose not to vaccinate their child.
ReplyDeleteI am a proponent of the highest degree of bodily autonomy. With this in mind I think vaccines should not be mandatory but I do think that schools should have the right to bar unvaccinated students. People should be able to do whatever they want to their own bodies and the government should have no say at all in what people do.
ReplyDeleteI support people making their own decisions without government regulation, but when it comes to mandatory public schools, I think children who enter should all be vaccinated. A child who isn't vaccinated against deadly diseases poses a threat to all other children. The boy with leukemia has no choice but to attend school, as do all other kids in the area, so the school needs to be as safe as possible for all.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above comments. In the case of measles and other easily preventable diseases, it's irresponsible and arrogant of parents to feel that their children are exempt from being immunized. It shows a contemptible sense of entitlement to ignore the public health concerns that exist by allowing a child to go unvaccinated, especially when he or she interacts with other people daily in a school environment. The link between vaccines and autism is nonexistent, so there is no legitimate reason to endanger other people's children by refusing a vaccine for your own. Due to the public health risks involved, governments have the right to enact mandatory vaccines for students in the institutions they operate - public schools. Parental choice is extremely important, but in this case, there is no reason to choose to avoid the vaccines.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that all children should be vaccinated if it is medically safe for them. Like many of the above comments mentioned, not vaccinating your child not only puts them at risk, but also the other children around them. With that being said, though, I also agree with Taryna. For some people, vaccinations go against their beliefs. Although I believe all children should be vaccinated, I don't think it fair to force people to go against their beliefs, whether those beliefs seem legitimate or not.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Victoria when it comes to vaccination. All children should be vaccinated with the necessary shots. I can just picture some crazy parent advocating for their child's personal freedom; however, the overall safety of the general public is more important than the individual opinions of others. I personally believe in the science behind vaccines and the accusations against them are crazy.
ReplyDeleteIf parents don't want to vaccinate their children then their children shouldn't be allowed to attend school. Since public schools are funded by the government, there should be no room for interpretation in the requirements for attendance. Not to mention the fact that not vaccinating poses a huge risk for both the child in question and its peers that could get sick due to this.
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