Are Mandatory School Vaccinations Constitutional?

[Anna C. 4]

I'm opposed to mandatory vaccinations. Most states have religious exemptions (48 states) and about 23 have philosophical exemptions. 2 states only have medical exemptions which are impossible to get, even if your child had a bad reaction (Mississipi and West Virginia). It's totally limiting parents' medical freedom. We do not have mandatory vaccines in Germany, gosh not even a school physical, yet our children are healthy. Medical decisions such as to vaccinate, not to vaccinate, to delay or select only some is totally up to the parents, as it should be. I really do not understand those crazy laws here, must be the lobby and the money-making behind it!

Someone was talking about diseases that are upsurging - those are not those we have vaccines for (and mind you, they are not foolproof, and some are designed to only mitigate the disease and not prevent it, such as the whopping cough vaccine for example). Most diseases that are around in daycares are viral infections, non-specific you cannot do anything about but nurse your child back to health with good old bed rest, chicken soup and tea.

Obviously both my husband and I are of the opinion that parenting and parental decisions such as vaccines, homeschooling or what t-shirt our children wear is nothing the government should try to get its fingers in. Yikes! And yes, I find it unconstitutional, and seeing how people are doing great without mandates back home shows it's all just another way to try to control people.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

They are not denied an education - they are denied an education at a public school (or any school presumably private schools have the same requirements, but I don't know) because they are a public safety risk, not because they can cause an epidemic on their own, but because their is an exponential risk on the un-vaccinated the more of them that there are.

Again, the same argument can be made for illegal immigrant children. They aren't denied an education either, just a public one. See what I mean?

The point is, you are creating a 'sub-class' of people because they don't believe in vaccinations and you cannot do that. You cannot make conditions of a public eduation for a child, if everyone is entitled to it. Once the SCOTUS ruled it as an entitlement to all children, then creating stipulations becomes unconstitutional under the 14th amendment.

If it was really about 'public safety' then any child with a head cold, flu symptoms, etc. should be sent home the moment they enter the school building as well.

[HAL 9000 96]

Many children that present signs of illness are sent home.

[Peikko 1,575]

Again, the same argument can be made for illegal immigrant children. They aren't denied an education either, just a public one. See what I mean?

The point is, you are creating a 'sub-class' of people because they don't believe in vaccinations and you cannot do that. You cannot make conditions of a public eduation for a child, if everyone is entitled to it. Once the SCOTUS ruled it as an entitlement to all children, then creating stipulations becomes unconstitutional under the 14th amendment.

If it was really about 'public safety' then any child with a head cold, flu symptoms, etc. should be sent home the moment they enter the school building as well.

No, it really isn't the same thing Paul. Do you know anything about childhood diseases and the conditions that create epidemics? Do you know anything about the devastation that was caused by polio? Do you even know what polio is for example? It is a public safety issue for the reasons I have already explained - cry me a river over your rights, in this case you don't have any.

[Amby 490]

I like vaccinations

[HAL 9000 96]

I like vaccinations

Needles?

Yeah, I like giving blood.

[BobandXiaomei 14]

20+ Vaccinations? What are they? There were just a couple that our daughter needed when she came to the USA and started 2nd grade (2006). Even with her Chinese vaccination card the count was nothing close to 20.

[Peikko 1,575]

I like vaccinations

The irrational fears over this issue are terrible really - that anyone would risk turning back the clock to the days before vaccinations - I guess when you don't know the implications of not having the majority vaccinated, the fears over the risks become overblown - but doesn't anyone realize how common childhood death is in third world countries as a result of the non availability of these common vaccinations? Surely all you have to do is look at the childhood mortality rate in these countries to appreciate what they have achieved?

[Obama 2012 1,714]

No, it really isn't the same thing Paul. Do you know anything about childhood diseases and the conditions that create epidemics? Do you know anything about the devastation that was caused by polio? Do you even know what polio is for example? It is a public safety issue for the reasons I have already explained - cry me a river over your rights, in this case you don't have any.

cry you a river over rights? Really? Wow. Glad to know how you really feel about the rights under the constitution.

Well aware of polio and other diseases. Also aware there hasn't been a natural case of polio in the United States since 1976 I believe it was... That's not to say it doesn't exist in a few other third-world nations still, but for the most part, it's a disease that's non-existent today.

We mandate over 20 vaccines now. 20.... For even the simplest things like the Chicken Pox. At what point to you stop pumping our kids full of #######? At what point to we start linking some of these vaccines to increased ADD, increased obesity, etc. At what point do we start looking at side-effects all around.

When I was a kid we didn't have anything 'bad' happen. We have 7 vaccines max. SEVEN. Now there's over 20? Cmon. Let's be a bit more realistic here.

You can't claim 'public safety' when a child is otherwise healthy either. You're denying a kid an education because he 'might' get sick with some diease that hasn't shown up in over 30 years. Are you kidding me? Just look at how ridiculous that sounds.

[Amby 490]

Needles?

Yeah, I like giving blood.

Needles don't really bother me. I just like the idea of not getting a deadly disease.

[Heracles 417]

Paul, are you just trying to see how absurd you can get? Seriously, trying to compare illegal immigrants and a public safety scenario?

If it's not a big deal then why are all legal immigrants required to have mandatory checks? Migrating to most other first world countries also requires strict mandatory health checks, on top of the Vaccination.

Perhaps you consider the proactive actions of these governments as hate speech too now.

Edited August 23, 2010 by Heracles

[BobandXiaomei 14]

cry you a river over rights? Really? Wow. Glad to know how you really feel about the rights under the constitution.

Well aware of polio and other diseases. Also aware there hasn't been a natural case of polio in the United States since 1976 I believe it was... That's not to say it doesn't exist in a few other third-world nations still, but for the most part, it's a disease that's non-existent today.

We mandate over 20 vaccines now. 20.... For even the simplest things like the Chicken Pox. At what point to you stop pumping our kids full of #######? At what point to we start linking some of these vaccines to increased ADD, increased obesity, etc. At what point do we start looking at side-effects all around.

When I was a kid we didn't have anything 'bad' happen. We have 7 vaccines max. SEVEN. Now there's over 20? Cmon. Let's be a bit more realistic here.

You can't claim 'public safety' when a child is otherwise healthy either. You're denying a kid an education because he 'might' get sick with some diease that hasn't shown up in over 30 years. Are you kidding me? Just look at how ridiculous that sounds.

What are the 20 you keep talking about?

[HAL 9000 96]

Compromise-

Don't want to vaccinate your kids? OK. The second your kids present any sign of any illness, pick them up and make them healthy. If the illness is contagious, home school them until they are no longer contagious and are healthy. Good luck with that.

[Peikko 1,575]

cry you a river over rights? Really? Wow. Glad to know how you really feel about the rights under the constitution.

Well aware of polio and other diseases. Also aware there hasn't been a natural case of polio in the United States since 1976 I believe it was... That's not to say it doesn't exist in a few other third-world nations still, but for the most part, it's a disease that's non-existent today.

We mandate over 20 vaccines now. 20.... For even the simplest things like the Chicken Pox. At what point to you stop pumping our kids full of #######? At what point to we start linking some of these vaccines to increased ADD, increased obesity, etc. At what point do we start looking at side-effects all around.

When I was a kid we didn't have anything 'bad' happen. We have 7 vaccines max. SEVEN. Now there's over 20? Cmon. Let's be a bit more realistic here.

You can't claim 'public safety' when a child is otherwise healthy either. You're denying a kid an education because he 'might' get sick with some diease that hasn't shown up in over 30 years. Are you kidding me? Just look at how ridiculous that sounds.

No, I am not kidding you. These diseases still exist and having the majority un-vaccinated runs the risk of skyrocketing childhood mortality. Is that what you want?

[Heracles 417]

Compromise-

Don't want to vaccinate your kids? OK. The second your kids present any sign of any illness, pick them up and make them healthy. If the illness is contagious, home school them until they are no longer contagious and are healthy. Good luck with that.

If someone is in a government school, then vaccinations should be mandatory, as they are in college.

If someone refuses to vaccinate, then yep, homeschooling is the best option.