Arguments Against Mandatory Vaccination

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), children below the age of six should get 29 doses of 9 vaccines and an annual flu short after a child attains the age of six months ("Vaccines Procon.Org"). Despite this bold recommendation, there is no federal law that makes it mandatory for the vaccination of children. However, all the states in the US demand certain vaccinations or kids joining public schools although other states provide philosophical, religious and medical exemptions. There is a debate about whether vaccinations should be mandatory with advocates and opponents of mandatory vaccination presenting different arguments based on the ethics to defend and object the practice.

On one hand, the advocates of mandatory vaccination argue that vaccinations are safe and hail it as one of the major health milestones achieved in the 20th

century. Proponents of compulsory vaccination refer to the evidence that vaccinations have led to the prevention of diseases such as whooping cough, polio, smallpox, diphtheria, and rubella ("Vaccines Procon.Org"). In addition, the proponents point that adverse effects of vaccines are not common occurrences. On the other hand, the opponents of mandatory vaccination contend that the immune system of children are capable of dealing with most natural infections. In this regard, therefore, they question the use of vaccines due to the associated adverse effects such as death, paralysis and seizures. In addition, to justify their arguments, the opponents cite various studies that reveal the dangers associated with using vaccines leading to conditions such as diabetes, ADHD and autism ("Vaccines Procon.Org"). Considering the arguments of both sides with unbiased lens, this essay maintains that vaccination should be made mandatory as it reduces the predisposition of children to various conditions. The essay begins by citing some of the arguments against mandatory vaccination then proceeds to present the arguments in support of mandatory vaccination. Lastly, the paper presents the conclusion based on the presented arguments.

Opponents of mandatory vaccination argue that vaccinations may cause adverse effects and, in some cases, result in death ("Possible Side-Effects from Vaccines," www.cdc.gov). In their view, therefore, administering these vaccines to children is to expose them to risks without their consent. The opponents of vaccination draw their argument on a study by CDC that found that all vaccines have anaphylaxis, a content that have high for causing allergic reactions and 1 in every one million children vaccinated experience these allergic reactions (www.mayoclinic.org). The research also establishes that rotavirus vaccination may cause intussusception which causes blockage of the bowel and may lead to hospitalization of a child. MMR and DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) have been linked with conditions such as permanent brain damage, lowered consciousness, coma, and long-term seizures. Further, chickenpox vaccine can cause pneumonia. Chronic inflammation, diabetes, autism, asthma, and learning disabilities have also been associated with vaccination according to the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) (National Vaccine Information Center, "Autism," www.nvic.org).

Opponents of mandatory vaccination also contend that vaccines are unnatural and that vaccination is less effective than natural immunity. Different institutions have issued reports confirming the effectiveness of natural immunity over vaccines. Such institutions include Mayo clinic and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. In light of these reports, the opponents of mandatory vaccination see no need for using vaccines with harmful ingredients that present chances of adverse health effects.

Another argument that opponents of mandatory vaccination use to challenge the practice is that vaccines have harmful ingredients are re therefore not ethical to use on children or humans. This argument is premised on the belief among some doctors that thimerosal is found in flu vaccine for adults and children is linked to autism. Moreover, the use of aluminum in manufacturing of some vaccines can lead to increased aluminum levels in the human body if taken (www.cdc.gov). As a result, excess aluminum in the body may cause brain conditions and allowing the use of these vaccines despite this knowledge is to disregard or devalue human life.

Opponents of mandatory vaccination also argue that it is unethical for the government to intervene in medical decision and choices of the people (www.cdc.gov). The opponents argue that children’s medical decision should be exclusively left in the hands of the parents or caregivers and making it mandatory for all children to get vaccination is to infringe on their parents’ freedom. The argument is supported by Barbara Fischer, a co-founder of the NVIC who argued that, “If the State can tag, track down and force citizens against their will to be injected with biological products of known and unknown toxicity today, there will be no limit on which individual freedoms the State can take away in the name of the greater good tomorrow” ("Vaccines Procon.Org").

Another argument advanced by opposers of mandatory vaccination is that it derides an individual of his or her religious rights that are protected by the constitution. The first amendment of the US constitution guarantees the protection of religious rights and acclaims that, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" ("Vaccines Procon.Org"). From an ethical standpoint, therefore, any law that contravenes the constitutional provision violates the social wellness of the people and making vaccination mandatory is no exception.

Vaccines are made of ingredients considered immoral by some people and is therefore objectionable. Some chickenpox vaccinations, Hep A/Hep B and combinations of DTaP/IPV/Hib are produced from cells obtained from the 2 fetuses that were aborted in the 1960s (www.organicconsumers.org). In this aspect, therefore, different religions have thus objected these vaccines arguing that using such vaccines is evil. The Catholics have argued that using such vaccines is evil and suggests participating to voluntary abortion that the religion does not support. The Catholics use therefore advocate for the use of alternative vaccines to avoid what they label as “evil”.

Others have also objected the use of some vaccines such as chickenpox, MMR, flu, IPV, HPV, Hib, RV, Hep A, and DTaP which are made from animal products such as African Green Monkeys cells, pig gelatin, Cocker Spaniel cells, insect cells, bovine casein, and chicken eggs (Committee to Review Adverse Effects of Vaccines n.d). The vegan and vegetarian philosophies object the use or consumption of animal products. Furthermore, it is even problematic that some vaccines are manufactured from human albumin and their consumption conflicts with different philosophies of vegans.

In their defense of mandatory vaccination, the proponents have argued that vaccines save the lives of children and there can never be any ethical concern that challenges the protection of life ("Vaccines Procon.Org"). As pointed out by the American Academy of Pediatrics, "most childhood vaccines are 90%-99% effective in preventing disease” as cited in ProCon.org. This argument solidifies the arguments of the advocates of mandatory vaccination backed with scientific and professional statistical evidence.

Another argument in support of mandatory vaccination posits that the ingredients used in the manufacture of the vaccines are of correct quantities and are therefore not dangerous ("About National Vaccine Information Center," www.nvic.org). Such ingredients as aluminum, formaldehyde and thimerosal can cause harm if used in large quantities but the quantities used in the manufacture of vaccines are not large enough to trigger any harmful effects. In fact, children consume even larger quantities of aluminum through infant formula and breast milk than they can consume in vaccines (www.niaid.nih.gov). Besides, the amount of harmful substances, toxins, viruses and bacteria that children are exposed to during their daily activities far much exceed that which they can be exposed to in vaccines. Further, the amounts of the most cited thimerosal ha been lowered in most children’s vaccines, except in flu vaccines.

The recommendation for the use vaccines by reputable organizations such as American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), Canadian Paediatric Society, Public Health Agency of Canada, and World Health Organization (WHO) has been cited by advocates as evidence of its benefits. Other organizations that have supported vaccination of children include US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), UNICEF, American Medical Association (AMA), Institute of Medicine (IOM), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC ("About National Vaccine Information Center," www.nvic.org).

Rarity of the adverse effects have been cited by advocates of the mandatory vaccination as a proof that children vaccines have more benefits than they could bring ill effects to the children (www.niaid.nih.gov). Anaphylaxis, which has been cited as the mot common adverse effect of vaccination only occurs “in 1 per many hundreds thousand to one per million vaccinations” according to ProCon.org. Further, in support of this point is the findings of the 2011 IOM Report that established that there is no relationship between vaccinations and autism ("Vaccines Procon.Org"). The report also found that type 1 diabetes is not caused by the MMR vaccine and that asthma episodes and Bell’s palsy are not caused by the killed flu vaccine.

Another argument presented in support of the introduction of mandatory vaccination is that it protects the “herd” which is the central role of any medication (www.nap.edu). As a result, any ethical argument that opposes the protection of the community against diseases or that leaves them susceptible to attack by such conditions is unjustified. Herd immunity or immunity of the community is the immunity of the critical portion. Vaccinating the people during a disease outbreak is known to protect the community against the contagious disease widespread and a major achievement of the health goal. Resisting the vaccination on religious or philosophical grounds only leaves one vulnerable to attack by such conditions, which, of course, is unethical.

To sum up, the opponents of mandatory vaccination present different positions that challenge the use of such vaccines. While they cite different ethical and cultural or religious arguments to support their points, adopting an objective perspective sees the use of vaccines as a moral good contrary to the levelled objecting reasons. The central foundation or this conclusion hinges on the need to protect the lives of children and no moral wrong can be greater than predisposing children to the risks of contracting illnesses that may prove fatal. The glaring evidences presented in this essay emphasizes the need for mandatory vaccination, but of course the decision largely relies on an individual to exercise their freedom to medical decisions.

Works Cited

"Vaccines Procon.Org". Vaccines.Procon.Org, 2018, https://vaccines.procon.org/. Accessed 18 Dec 2018.

CDC, "Frequently Asked Questions about Multiple Vaccinations and the Immune System," www.cdc.gov/. Accessed 18 Dec 2018.

Committee to Review Adverse Effects of Vaccines. Adverse effects of vaccines: evidence and causality. National Academies Press, 2012.

Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, "Immunization Safety Review: Thimerosal - Containing Vaccines and Neurodevelopmental Disorders," www.nap.edu, n.d.

Mayo Clinic, "Childhood Vaccines: Tough Questions, Straight Answers," www.mayoclinic.org/. Accessed 18 Dec 2018.

National Institutes of Health National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, "How Vaccines Work," www.niaid.nih.gov/. Accessed 18 Dec 2018.

National Vaccine Information Center, "About National Vaccine Information Center," www.nvic.org/. Accessed 18 Dec 2018.

Organic Consumers Association, "The Great Thimerosal Cover-Up: Mercury, Vaccines, Autism and Your Child's Health," www.organicconsumers.org/. Accessed 18 Dec 2018.