Ever since the introduction of vaccines in 1796, people often have very strong views on whether states should mandate up-to-date vaccinations in schools and public places. People who oppose mandatory vaccinations argue that mandating, or forcing, people to get vaccinated is a violation of the United States Constitution. On the other hand, those who want mandatory vaccinations say that they greatly improve public health. Each side has different reasons for supporting or opposing the idea of mandatory vaccinations, and there are benefits and drawbacks for each stance.
First and foremost, vaccines are biological agents that help humans or other animals develop immunities to protect them from certain diseases. Edward Jenner created the first smallpox vaccine in 1796. Most vaccines create long-term immunity with a single shot or a series of several shots. Others require periodic shots, such as the influenza (flu) vaccination, which physicians recommend you get once a year. Inoculations have received wide support from many, if not all health care organizations. Vaccines also carry a minimal risk of injury, and all vaccines are tested, regulated, and regularly reviewed for safety. Scientists also say vaccines are safe and effective (“Vaccines”).
Supporters of mandatory vaccinations say that these required shots are very important to public health. They slow, and even stop the transmission of potentially fatal diseases. Vaccines can eradicate or reduce infection from one person to another. When most people get vaccinated from a disease, that disease can be completely wiped out. For example, the deadly smallpox virus was declared “completely eradicated” in 1980 following worldwide vaccination programs. Vaccines must continue even when it is considered eliminated from an area to continue herd immunity. Herd immunity is established when most people are vaccinated so people who can’t be vaccinated can still be protected from those diseases (“Vaccines”). For instance, infants cannot be vaccinated against certain illnesses, so those who have received the shot around the child can protect the child from getting the illness.
Another very important scenario to consider when it comes to herd immunity is the fact that people who are immunocompromised cannot get vaccinated against certain diseases. These include cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and numerous other conditions. Their immune systems are weaker than the general population. If herd immunity is not maintained, those who are immunocompromised can easily contract an infection from those around them. They are also more susceptible to life threatening complications from something as mild as a cold or the flu. This increases their chances of dying as well.
Furthermore, the United States Supreme Court has already ruled on this topic. In 1905, the Supreme Court ruled that individual states had the right to mandate vaccinations because it was beneficial to public health in Jacobson v. Massachusetts. Henning Jacobson grew up getting vaccinated in his hometown of Sweden, where vaccines were mandatory. However, he had a bad reaction to the smallpox vaccine. Massachusetts had a law that mandated vaccines, and when Jacobson refused to get vaccinated, he was fined. Eventually, the case was appealed to the Supreme Court. Justice John Marshall Harlan stated that the law did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment. He also stated that the law was in the interest of public health (“Vaccines”).
In addition, scientists say that getting vaccinated is one of the most effective ways to prevent and protect yourself from a lot of potentially fatal diseases such as chicken pox, measles, mumps, and more. The World Health Organization (WHO) also estimated that vaccination helped prevent at least 10 million deaths worldwide from 2010 to 2015. They also help prevent nearly three million deaths a year from other contagions like diphtheria, hepatitis B, Hib (Haemophilus influenzae b), tetanus, tuberculosis, and whooping cough (“Mandatory Vaccinations”).
Meanwhile, others argue vaccinations shouldn’t be mandatory. Those who oppose mandatory vaccination think that they should have the right not to vaccinate, as mandating vaccines is a violation of the US Constitution. They argue that mandating inoculations violates the Fourteenth Amendment, which states that the liberty of citizens cannot be impeded by state or federal law (“Vaccines”).
Opponents of mandatory vaccination also refer to the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of religion. Those who are religious may oppose vaccination for different reasons based on the religion they practice. For example, Muslims who do not consume pork products may object to vaccines that contain gelatin derived from pigs. Some Catholics express disapproval of certain vaccines because they were originally developed using human cell strains obtained from fetuses aborted in the 1960s (“Vaccines”).
Moreover, people say that not everyone who gets vaccinated against a disease develops immunity to that disease, so ultimately there’s no point in saying if the vaccine was needed. On the other hand, some unvaccinated people never get infected. Some people are also born with natural immunity against certain infections. For instance, Central Africans born with the sickle-cell trait are less likely to get malaria. Their sickle-shaped red blood cells are inhospitable to the parasite that causes the illness. Opposers say that if some individuals don’t need the vaccination, there is no reason to force them to get the shot (Singer). And if a person goes unvaccinated, there’s no way to hold that person responsible for being a transmitter for that disease. They argue that mandatory vaccines can’t be justified as self-defense because it cannot be shown that a non-vaccinated person was the reason another person got infected (Singer).
Additionally, some children have adverse or even fatal reactions to vaccines. Some people fear that vaccines can injure children, and that has led to more people opposing vaccines. A patient who receives vaccination through injection may experience temporary minor swelling, itching, discoloration, or other irritation near the injection site. Fainting, dizziness, headaches, and mild fever can also occur. The CDC estimates that one out of every one million vaccinations will result in a severe allergic reaction. Vaccines also have been linked to deafness, seizure, coma, brain damage, blood disease, and death. Even though these side effects are very rare, opponents still maintain that the government shouldn’t force individuals to get vaccinated even if they are not more prone to adverse side effects (“Vaccines”).
In conclusion, each side has many different reasons for supporting or opposing the idea of mandatory vaccinations, and there are benefits and drawbacks for each stance. The nation will perhaps always be divided on whether the government should require mandatory vaccinations or not.
Works Cited:
“Mandatory Vaccinations.” Issues & and Controversies, Infobase, 20 Jan. 2022, icof.infobase.com/articles/QXJ0aWNsZVRleHQ6MTY1Mzg=. Accessed 1 Mar. 2022.
Singer, Jeffrey A. “Anti-Vaxxers Should Have the Right to Choose Not to Vaccinate.” Deadly Viruses, edited by Noah Berlatsky, Greenhaven Press, 2016. Current Controversies. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010973218/OVIC?u=j043910&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=582b6611. Accessed 3 Mar. 2022. Originally published as “Vaccination and Free Will,” Reason, Apr. 2014.
“Vaccines.” Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2021. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/NIVSVI057170276/OVIC?u=j043910&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=d817258d. Accessed 28 Feb. 2022.
“Vaccines.” Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2021. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/PC3010999291/OVIC?u=j043910&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=1be644cd. Accessed 28 Feb. 2022.
First and foremost, vaccines are biological agents that help humans or other animals develop immunities to protect them from certain diseases. Edward Jenner created the first smallpox vaccine in 1796. Most vaccines create long-term immunity with a single shot or a series of several shots. Others require periodic shots, such as the influenza (flu) vaccination, which physicians recommend you get once a year. Inoculations have received wide support from many, if not all health care organizations. Vaccines also carry a minimal risk of injury, and all vaccines are tested, regulated, and regularly reviewed for safety. Scientists also say vaccines are safe and effective (“Vaccines”).
Supporters of mandatory vaccinations say that these required shots are very important to public health. They slow, and even stop the transmission of potentially fatal diseases. Vaccines can eradicate or reduce infection from one person to another. When most people get vaccinated from a disease, that disease can be completely wiped out. For example, the deadly smallpox virus was declared “completely eradicated” in 1980 following worldwide vaccination programs. Vaccines must continue even when it is considered eliminated from an area to continue herd immunity. Herd immunity is established when most people are vaccinated so people who can’t be vaccinated can still be protected from those diseases (“Vaccines”). For instance, infants cannot be vaccinated against certain illnesses, so those who have received the shot around the child can protect the child from getting the illness.
Another very important scenario to consider when it comes to herd immunity is the fact that people who are immunocompromised cannot get vaccinated against certain diseases. These include cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and numerous other conditions. Their immune systems are weaker than the general population. If herd immunity is not maintained, those who are immunocompromised can easily contract an infection from those around them. They are also more susceptible to life threatening complications from something as mild as a cold or the flu. This increases their chances of dying as well.
Furthermore, the United States Supreme Court has already ruled on this topic. In 1905, the Supreme Court ruled that individual states had the right to mandate vaccinations because it was beneficial to public health in Jacobson v. Massachusetts. Henning Jacobson grew up getting vaccinated in his hometown of Sweden, where vaccines were mandatory. However, he had a bad reaction to the smallpox vaccine. Massachusetts had a law that mandated vaccines, and when Jacobson refused to get vaccinated, he was fined. Eventually, the case was appealed to the Supreme Court. Justice John Marshall Harlan stated that the law did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment. He also stated that the law was in the interest of public health (“Vaccines”).
In addition, scientists say that getting vaccinated is one of the most effective ways to prevent and protect yourself from a lot of potentially fatal diseases such as chicken pox, measles, mumps, and more. The World Health Organization (WHO) also estimated that vaccination helped prevent at least 10 million deaths worldwide from 2010 to 2015. They also help prevent nearly three million deaths a year from other contagions like diphtheria, hepatitis B, Hib (Haemophilus influenzae b), tetanus, tuberculosis, and whooping cough (“Mandatory Vaccinations”).
Meanwhile, others argue vaccinations shouldn’t be mandatory. Those who oppose mandatory vaccination think that they should have the right not to vaccinate, as mandating vaccines is a violation of the US Constitution. They argue that mandating inoculations violates the Fourteenth Amendment, which states that the liberty of citizens cannot be impeded by state or federal law (“Vaccines”).
Opponents of mandatory vaccination also refer to the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of religion. Those who are religious may oppose vaccination for different reasons based on the religion they practice. For example, Muslims who do not consume pork products may object to vaccines that contain gelatin derived from pigs. Some Catholics express disapproval of certain vaccines because they were originally developed using human cell strains obtained from fetuses aborted in the 1960s (“Vaccines”).
Moreover, people say that not everyone who gets vaccinated against a disease develops immunity to that disease, so ultimately there’s no point in saying if the vaccine was needed. On the other hand, some unvaccinated people never get infected. Some people are also born with natural immunity against certain infections. For instance, Central Africans born with the sickle-cell trait are less likely to get malaria. Their sickle-shaped red blood cells are inhospitable to the parasite that causes the illness. Opposers say that if some individuals don’t need the vaccination, there is no reason to force them to get the shot (Singer). And if a person goes unvaccinated, there’s no way to hold that person responsible for being a transmitter for that disease. They argue that mandatory vaccines can’t be justified as self-defense because it cannot be shown that a non-vaccinated person was the reason another person got infected (Singer).
Additionally, some children have adverse or even fatal reactions to vaccines. Some people fear that vaccines can injure children, and that has led to more people opposing vaccines. A patient who receives vaccination through injection may experience temporary minor swelling, itching, discoloration, or other irritation near the injection site. Fainting, dizziness, headaches, and mild fever can also occur. The CDC estimates that one out of every one million vaccinations will result in a severe allergic reaction. Vaccines also have been linked to deafness, seizure, coma, brain damage, blood disease, and death. Even though these side effects are very rare, opponents still maintain that the government shouldn’t force individuals to get vaccinated even if they are not more prone to adverse side effects (“Vaccines”).
In conclusion, each side has many different reasons for supporting or opposing the idea of mandatory vaccinations, and there are benefits and drawbacks for each stance. The nation will perhaps always be divided on whether the government should require mandatory vaccinations or not.
Works Cited:
“Mandatory Vaccinations.” Issues & and Controversies, Infobase, 20 Jan. 2022, icof.infobase.com/articles/QXJ0aWNsZVRleHQ6MTY1Mzg=. Accessed 1 Mar. 2022.
Singer, Jeffrey A. “Anti-Vaxxers Should Have the Right to Choose Not to Vaccinate.” Deadly Viruses, edited by Noah Berlatsky, Greenhaven Press, 2016. Current Controversies. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010973218/OVIC?u=j043910&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=582b6611. Accessed 3 Mar. 2022. Originally published as “Vaccination and Free Will,” Reason, Apr. 2014.
“Vaccines.” Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2021. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/NIVSVI057170276/OVIC?u=j043910&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=d817258d. Accessed 28 Feb. 2022.
“Vaccines.” Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2021. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/PC3010999291/OVIC?u=j043910&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=1be644cd. Accessed 28 Feb. 2022.
