Vaccinations are an incredible scientific development that allows humankind to boost their immunity to diseases that used to be fatal. Despite this, in recent years, vaccinations have become a hot button issue. Now there is a large debate over the safety and necessity of vaccines. In most states, students are asked to be vaccinated before entering certain grade levels of public school. Vaccines are not mandatory. The majority of parents can choose to exempt their children from immunizations by marking an opt-out box and providing a vague reason. In correlation with the contemporary debate over vaccinations, sparked by the discussion of possible negative side effects, fewer and fewer parents are choosing to properly vaccinate their children. All of this raises the inquiry of whether the government should require students to be vaccinated in order to attend public school. In short, yes. The government should require public school attendees to be fully vaccinated prior to entering their halls.
To begin, vaccines have been saving lives and preventing diseases for decades (Alvarez). They are proven to be safe and very effective. Due to the increased use of these immunizations diseases like smallpox have been irradiated (Plait). There is hysteria regarding the use of vaccinations and the potential link to their use and various Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD’s). This public health fiasco began with Dr. Andrew Wakefield, who published a false study indicating a link between the two. Unfortunately, the hysteria has only amassed more followers since (Perry). Even celebrities have joined in on the anti-vaccination movement which followed the growing popularity of the now debunked study. Jenny McCarthy and Charlie Sheen, among others, have put up online posts against vaccinations. This led to many Americans being against vaccines. Despite that all reliable medical resources have found that there is no relationship between receiving vaccinations and developing an ASD. In the briefest terms, according to the CDC, “There is no link between vaccines and Autism.” Vaccines have been found to be up to 99% effective without the onset of serious side effects (American Academy of Pediatrics). Though vaccines are safe, parents still, at increasing rates, are opting to not properly vaccinate their children. This leaves them very susceptible to preventable illnesses. Because so many parents are ignoring the consensus of the scientific community, the government needs to step in and ensure that children are receiving their immunizations.
Second, choosing not to vaccinate students who will be attending public schools affects more than just the individual who does not receive vaccinations. When each student who can be vaccinated, is vaccinated, a population that is largely immune to a disease is created. This concept is called herd immunity. Herd immunity is defined as when so many in a population are immune to a disease, that the disease has difficulty spreading to those who are not immune (Perry). Despite the fact that some, such as the immunocompromised, cannot safely receive vaccinations, they will still be relatively safe from a disease the rest of the population is vaccinated for. This is due to herd immunity, and each immunized person contributes to this.
Many who chose not to vaccinate their children believe that their kids will be safe from disease because of this herd immunity. If enough students don’t receive vaccinations, herd immunity will be greatly compromised. That means that one person’s decision can affect the safety of an entire group. According to Robert Pearl, M.D., and CEO of Permanente Medical Group, “As a society, we don’t condone behavior that puts others at risk for injury or death. There are no exemptions from laws that prohibit drunk driving…” Not requiring immunizations puts all of America at an increased risk for disease. Part of the government’s role is to create laws that protect the public. Ensuring good public health is a major component of that.