Should Parents be Required by Law to Vaccinate Their Children?

Should Parents be Required by Law to Vaccinate Their Children?

Vaccines are among the best health developments and interventions that have been made in the 20^th century. Through vaccination, several lives have been saved, and the well-being of children has been promoted. The World Health Organization argues that about 3 million lives are saved every year through vaccination (Kennedy 23). The National Health Service in the UK considers it the most valuable thing that can be used to safeguard children and adults alike against ill health (Kennedy 23). Even though public health actors like WHO encourage vaccination, a noteworthy minority of individuals, especially in high-income countries, raise concerns regarding the safety of vaccines. Vaccinations such as the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) are among the major sources of safety concerns as individuals claim that it might cause autism and have other undesirable outcomes (Kennedy 23). Given the varying arguments regarding the safety of vaccination, there is increased concern about mandatory vaccination. Should parents be required by law to vaccinate their children? Subsequently, this is an argument that even though critics consider mandatory vaccination as an invasion of family and personal rights and that vaccines might be unsafe, mandatory vaccination has proven effective in mitigating the spread of various vaccine-preventable diseases. Consequently, preventing high child mortality rates and good health in the general public, and therefore, parents should be required by law to vaccinate their children.

Vaccines have demonstrated high levels of effectiveness in eliminating and controlling life-threatening infectious illnesses. Research shows that about 3 million deaths have been prevented through vaccination every year (Kennedy 23). With a target group that is clearly defined, vaccines are among the most cost-effective health investments, and strategies that are evidence-based ensure that they are accessible to the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations (Gualana et al., 920). In the US, mandatory vaccination is implemented, but parents can claim exemptions for religious, philosophical, or medical reasons. However, some states have decided to eliminate or limit non-medical exemptions. The states in the USA with the most stringent laws have recorded significantly lower rates of measles and whooping cough, and this suggests that if there are fewer exemptions, then mandatory vaccination is likely to prove highly effective in preventing certain diseases (Wright).

Despite the fact that vaccines have proven effective in preventing certain diseases, some parents continue to raise various concerns and misperceptions regarding childhood vaccinations. Some claim that MMR vaccine can cause autism (Madsen et al., 1478). Vaccine hesitancy is even common in communities where high vaccination rates have been recorded. Correspondingly, healthcare workers also hold lingering misconceptions about vaccines as well as vaccine-preventable illnesses and are among the major reasons for the reduced uptake of the recommended vaccines. Such lack of confidence plays a major role in the occurrence of vaccine hesitancy, hence threatening programs on vaccination.

Parental refusal or vaccine hesitancy is a growing concern due to children’s heightened occurrences of vaccine-preventable illnesses. Studies on the rising vaccine hesitancy among parents cite safety, religious, philosophical, and personal reasons (McKee & Bohannon 104). The majority of the opponents claim that vaccines are detrimental to children’s health, and hence, policies like mandatory vaccination are violations of their constitutional rights (Walkinshaw 1830).  In a recent survey conducted in the UK, 21 percent of parents claimed that the MMR vaccine was likely to cause undesirable side effects, and about 10 percent of the parents decided against giving the vaccine to their children (Kennedy 23). Highly contagious illnesses like measles need 90 to 95 percent vaccination coverage in order to attain herd immunity (Kennedy 23). Herd immunity is the point at which a disease that is considered infectious is no longer able to spread in a community. If unmet, then infectious diseases spread rapidly in the population.

Italy and France are among the top countries enraged with issues of mandatory vaccination. Some populist politicians raise liberal ideas concerning individual freedom. However, such arguments are raised by adults, yet the effects are felt among children. Both the state and parents bear the responsibility of protecting children and preventing them from harm. Therefore, it is reasonable enough to posit that failure to vaccinate a child, despite the overwhelming evidence of its effectiveness and safety, is a way of denying children their right and hence the need for the state to intervene to ensure that the welfare of children is upheld. The US has seen about 9 cases of vaccine refusal, which has been equated to child neglect, and in these cases, 7 were considered guilty (Kennedy 24). Refusal to vaccinate has dire consequences for society as a whole. When vaccination is below herd immunity, then there is a heightened risk of an outbreak. This tends to affect children from vulnerable communities. Therefore, it would be important for the state to require mandatory vaccination to ensure that herd immunity is attained and children are protected from any harm.

With concerns raised regarding the safety of vaccines, vaccine hesitancy has seen a substantial increment in vaccine-preventable illnesses, especially in Europe. For instance, between 2016 and 2019, the number of confirmed measles cases rose from 5000 cases to about 90,000 cases, respectively (Kennedy 23). In August 2019, the UK was not considered measles-free, and the US suffered one of the worst measles outbreaks in 2019 after about 25 years (Kennedy 23). As a result, in 2019, the WHO considered vaccine hesitancy to be among the topmost global health threats.

Introducing mandatory vaccination policies, though debatable, is likely to lessen the rising numbers of vaccine-preventable illnesses. Mandatory vaccination has proven effective in some countries like Italy. In 2017, mandatory vaccination was introduced for 10 infectious diseases in Italy as a strategy to deal with the reduction in immunization levels beneath the coverage targets (Gualana et al., 920). As a result of this implementation, there was an increase in vaccine coverage against diseases like diphtheria, poliomyelitis, pertussis, tetanus, and MMR.

Mandatory vaccination might not, however, be the best or only way to ensure increased vaccination rates. The UK has had enviably high uptake rates for several years, with the majority of parents choosing to vaccinate their children. One of the ways that increasing vaccine uptake can be done is by taking such concerns with trusted health professionals. ASTHO suggests that positive messages need to be sent in regard to vaccination. Such positive messages, especially from trusted healthcare professionals, are considered more believable than negative messages. Additionally, using emotional and personal stories and messages can prove effective compared to using scientific studies and data that might not resonate well with some members of the public (ASTHO). Therefore, issues regarding vaccination need to be properly and rightly published and shared with the public since vaccine hesitancy tends to spread from media to friends and family.

Mandatory vaccination might be seen, from a liberal perspective, as a way of invading personal or family rights. However, it is the responsibility of the state to ensure the safety of children and society as a whole. Research has proven that vaccines are safe and effective in lessening millions of deaths among children. This means that the majority of the reasons for vaccine hesitancy are misguided and based on misconceptions. Mandatory vaccination can play an integral role in protecting lives. States with less stringent vaccination laws tend to have higher vaccine-preventable diseases, and European countries with high vaccine-hesitancy rates can evidence this. Requiring parents to vaccinate their children will help prevent vaccine-preventable illnesses and deaths. However, this should be accompanied by positive messages from trusted healthcare practitioners to help parents make informed decisions regarding the vaccination of their children.

Works Cited

ASTHO. Communicating Effectively About Vaccines: New Communication Resources for Health Officials. 2020. https://www.astho.org/Programs/Immunization/Communicating-Effectively-About-Vaccines–New-Communication-Resources-for-Health-Officials/

Gualano, M. R., et al. “Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs towards compulsory vaccination: a systematic review.” Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics 15.4 (2019): 918-931.

Kennedy, J. “Should childhood vaccinations be mandatory?.” Perspectives in public health 140.1 (2020): 23-24.

Madsen, Kreesten Meldgaard, et al. “A population-based study of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination and autism.” New England Journal of Medicine 347.19 (2012): 1477-1482.

McKee, Chephra, and Kristin Bohannon. “Exploring the reasons behind parental refusal of vaccines.” The Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics: JPPT 21.2 (2016): 104.

Walkinshaw, Erin. “Mandatory vaccinations: No middle ground.” (2011): 1830-1831.

Wright, Claire. Should vaccination be mandatory? Meningitis Research Foundation. 2017. https://www.meningitis.org/blogs/should-vaccination-be-mandatory

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Assignment Details

Description: For your final essay, I would like you to explore a controversial issue within your field of study, arguing for a potential change or solution to this issue. Consult the list below to help guide you and promote creative thinking; however, do not feel restricted to writing about one of the topics if you would prefer to explore another avenue that interests you:

Should Parents be Required by Law to Vaccinate Their Children?

AHCD: Should people face criminal charges for hate speech online?
Business: Should the minimum wage be increased?
Education: Is standardized testing a fair and effective method of evaluating students?
Health Sciences: Should parents be required by law to vaccinate their children?
IMCT: Should automotive companies continue to pursue driverless vehicle technology?
Public Safety: Should all police officers be required to wear body cameras that cannot be turned off?
SBSHS: Should sex work be legalized throughout the United States?
STEM: How might video game companies promote more race and gender diversity throughout the industry?
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· Before you begin your essay, choose your stance on the topic (i.e., are you for the topic, against it, or some combination of both). Then, develop a strong, specific thesis that argues a specific claim about that topic (i.e., don’t simply argue “I am for ______” or “I am against ______”). Remember that you must argue about a specific change that you want to see happen to rectify your issue.

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