Some ground rules should be established in these conversations. Everyone should agree:

  • Vaccines greatly decrease the chance of contracting the disease which they target.
  • If a significant proportion of the population is vaccinated, then epidemics are unlikely.
  • This “significant” number does not have to 100% to be effective. Flu shot vaccination rates hover around 50% for the last few years according to the CDC, and no epidemics have occurred.
  • Vaccines are not 100% risk free, although globally speaking the benefit outweighs the risk. This, of course, does not help either the person getting sick or having an allergic or auto-immune reaction.
  • All currently required childhood vaccines are for horrible illnesses. Measles for example “Most patients with uncomplicated measles will recover with rest and supportive treatment.” (from the wiki). Like chicken pox, in childhood in the 50’s and earlier .. almost all kids got the Measles. Oddly enough people survived.

My question is, if you think measles vaccinations should be mandatory, why don’t you think flu shots should be mandatory?

If you think free riders are a problem and deserve active censure, should childless middle age adults (or older) be similarly censured?

Related posts:

  1. H1N1, Vaccinations (and Abortion)
  2. Color Me Confused
  3. Some Random Thoughts
  4. Cry of the Lambs
  5. Decoding Left from Right

Filed under: Consider the Following • Ethics & Morality • Mark O.

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