Religion and Mandatory Vaccinations Since the creation of the smallpox vaccine in 1796 by Edward Jenner, immunizations have been one of the most important scientific advances in history. Scientists and physicians have developed vaccines for highly communicable diseases such as measles, mumps, and the influenza virus. Diseases that were once fatal, such as polio, tetanus, and meningitis are now associated with much higher patient survival rates because of the life-saving immunizations. Due to the success of the vaccines, the federal and state governments decided to require medically fit people of all ages to obtain vaccinations. They also required providing of immunization records prior to allowing students to attend public schools, after the
