With the beginning of school around the country, public schools in my state are quick to let everyone know that mandatory vaccination is the law. The comments in the hyperlink are interesting, and one of them is from a woman whose son had a bad reaction to some vaccine. I found a great source for pro and anti vaccination people to find their facts.

Qustions for debate:

1.)Should we have mandatory vaccination?

2.)Is mandatory vaccination more dangerous than allowing non-vaccinated children around other children? Please answer citing studies, facts, and research. Not what you "think."

3.)Is this yet another example of people running with folklore and ignoring science? Why or why not?

1.)Should we have mandatory vaccination?

Well, not absolutely mandatory, but it should definitely be required that a parent or guardian make a decision, in writing, to opt out of vaccination for dependent children. There are clearly some very rare circumstances in which vaccination is not appropriate (a compromised immune system, a known severe allergic reaction to an ingredient in the vaccine, and so on.)

There are also some parents and guardians who have religious or philosophical objections to vaccination. Failure to vaccinate children for these reasons, although I would personally consider it foolish, does not quite rise to the same level as failure to provide medical care for life-threatening disorders. Such cases, when parents and guardians refuse to provide safe, effective medical treatment and instead allow their children to die, cannot be excused on the basis of personal beliefs. In the case of vaccination, the danger to the child is not anywhere near so obvious, so one must be willing to allow a parent or guardian to make a unwise choice. An appropriate analogy might be to contrast parents and guardians who do not provide children with sufficient food (clearly a form of abuse and neglect) with parents who feed their children soft drinks and fast food (an unwise choice we must allow, although we should certainly try to educate people against it.)

Here is a map of various state laws dealing with childhood vaccination.

Link

Almost all states allow parents and guardians to refuse vaccination on religious grounds, and many allow other "personal belief" refusals.

2.)Is mandatory vaccination more dangerous than allowing non-vaccinated children around other children? Please answer citing studies, facts, and research. Not what you "think."

There are countless studies one could cite. I pick a topic which is, perhaps, the most controversial. This regards the possible danger of using thimerosal as a preservative in vaccine.

Link



I could quote many more studies listed on this site. There is overwhelming evidence that vaccination is, with very rare exceptions, safe and effective.

3.)Is this yet another example of people running with folklore and ignoring science? Why or why not?

Yes.

If one looks at anti-vaccination sites, it is clear that they have some sort of "agenda" other than questioning the safety of the procedure.

• Religious fundamentalism
• Promotion of chiropracture
• Promotion of "alternative" medicine
• A personal experience with the death or severe injury of a child

The last item is the most understandable. The extreme horror and grief of losing a child explains why anyone unfortunate enough to experience it would be likely to seek something to blame, and to attack it. In very rare cases, vaccination is indeed responsible. This is a terrible tragedy indeed, but it does not change the fact that vaccination is a good thing for the overwhelming majority of children. In other cases, when death or illness has followed vaccination, the procedure is falsely blamed for the loss. It is very difficult for anyone to lose a child, or have it severly injured, and not have any idea why. It is easier to blame vaccination, or some other scapegoat, than to accept the fact that one will never know the reason for one's loss.

Less excusable (and much more common) is the rejection of vaccination for purely religious reasons. One cannot debate religion here, but one can point out the dangers of behavior which is done in the name of religion.

Chiropracture may be of benefit in cases of back pain and such, but to suggest that it is a substitute (rather than an addition) for mainstream medical care is pure superstition. The same could be said about other forms of "alternative" medical treatment. Some may be helpful, some may be harmful, the vast majority of it may have little or no effect one way or the other; but they must never be seen as replacements for standard medical care.

Qustions for debate:

1.)Should we have mandatory vaccination?

Absolutely.

2.)Is mandatory vaccination more dangerous than allowing non-vaccinated children around other children? Please answer citing studies, facts, and research. Not what you "think."

The studies and data are numerous as stated above. Here is more

http://www.cdc.gov/od/science/iso/concerns.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/od/science/iso/mmr_autism.htm


http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/1031002275.html


3.)Is this yet another example of people running with folklore and ignoring science? Why or why not?

Sure it is. There is risk in every act. Just being in a car on the way to school may be statistically more dangerous than all the vaccines combined.

I now have all my kids get the flu vaccine as well even though some dopy Pediatricians try to tell us it is not necessary.

The fact is the flu kills more kids ever year than have been killed by all the vaccines ever given. And kids with the flu spread it quickly to parents and grandparents.