Arguments Against Mandatory Vaccination

The primary topics that have been discussed in this paper include vaccine safety, side effects and toxicity, and the need for vaccinations for diseases that appear to be eradicated. The concerns that have been raised about vaccine safety and effectiveness have all been addressed and the overwhelming evidence has been provided (Achievements in Public Heath, 1999). However, despite this evidence, theories against vaccinations by social groups often misrepresent the scientific data and are not backed by scientific logic. These concerns have led many parents to decline the recommended vaccination of their children which had led to a resurgence of diseases such as measles and pertussis in the United States (Maglione et al, 2015). Although …show more content…
Parents usually make the immunization decisions for their children and also obligated by law to choose the appropriate car safety seat, provide food and shelter and adequate medical care. If parents are found guilty of not acting in the best interest of their children, then the law allows for the child to be taken away from them. However, if a parent objects to a recommended vaccination, then they are allowed to deny their child the proper care. Vaccinations should be treated as equally as any other form of medical care and protected with the same laws against medical neglect. There are many laws that have already been passed for mandatory vaccinations and all fifty states have laws requiring specified vaccines for school students, but all states except three (California, Mississippi West Virginia) allow parents to refuse vaccinations if it contradicts with their sincere religious beliefs (States with Religious and Philosophical Exemptions, 2017). These current laws only address the requirements needed to attend school and do not address the need for infant immunizations. If the laws continue to allow vaccinations to be refused, then the misconception that vaccines are an option will persist. However, all of the scientific data demonstrates that vaccines are not a choice but a required medical