I’ve been watching the measles outbreaks with grim bemusement (yeah, figure that one out), as they center around areas in which anti-vaccination crusades have taken hold. In other words, they’re paying the price for their own bad judgment, which is not a bad way for things to go. WaPo published an article on the subject today, which includes this dubious remark:
Jill Collier, a registered nurse, told lawmakers she was against the [vaccination] bill because she believed it would harm the doctor-patient relationship. “We cannot blanket-mandate an injection for a child and hold their education hostage for noncompliance,” she said.
And why not? Look at it the other way: your unvaccinated kid forces those children who are implicitly incapable of tolerating the vaccine (such as for genetic reasons) to stay away from school for their own safety. You’ve just denied them an education just as much as this bill might restrict your’s.
Only, unlike your behavior, their’s is not voluntary.
For a post from long ago on the subject of vaccinations and public health, see here.
