Are Mandatory School Vaccinations Constitutional?

[Nina~ 431]

Anyone that loves their children likely would be apprehensive about injecting things into their kids that don't produce immediate results. Its normal to do so.

I remember when I was attending Kindergarten in India when there was a cholera outbreak. The guvmint folks just waltzed in to our private school, set up a portable kerosene stove in the middle of the quad and started boiling water to sterilize needles & glass syringes. We were all asked to stand in a line and we injected with god-know-what-vaccine. There were no prior approval forms signed by my parents and no notes sent home to inform them. In fact, my parents found out about it when I told them later that evening. There was absolutely no outrage, no discussions, and no debates about the constitution by any of the parents.

Although I believe all kids need to be vaccinated, I would throw a hissy fit if someone injected something in my kids without my prior knowledge or approval

Edited August 23, 2010 by Nina~

[Peikko 1,575]

Oh no apology expected at all! Like I said I too am a firm believer in vaccinations, each subsequent child was also given the MMR despite my sons condition. The reason I calmed down eventually about the mandatory vaccinations for school age children was experiencing the US healthcare system, I assumed that vaccinations were not given free therefore can see that perhaps many more children would be left unvaccinated without the mandatory stipulations...if that makes any sense.

Yes, that makes sense.

[BobandXiaomei 14]

Free immunizations are available in most areas for the disadvantage (poor).

[Anna C. 4]

I remember when I was attending Kindergarten in India when there was a cholera outbreak. The guvmint folks just waltzed in to our private school, set up a portable kerosene stove in the middle of the quad and started boiling water to sterilize needles & glass syringes. We were all asked to stand in a line and we injected with god-know-what-vaccine. There were no prior approval forms signed by my parents and no notes sent home to inform them. In fact, my parents found out about it when I told them later that evening. There was absolutely no outrage, no discussions, and no debates about the constitution by any of the parents.

Although I believe all kids need to be vaccinated, I would throw a hissy fit if someone injected something in my kids without my prior knowledge or approval

Wow I would be livid. There is a cholera vaccine, it's efficacy is rather low though (25-50%)... Proper drinking water and hygiene and diet is best at preventing the disease. It is sad that India is still a place where children are being recruited for trials without parental knowledge - like the recent outrage about HPV vaccine trials on girls in boarding school from very poor backgrounds. No parental consent to be part of the trial, no proper follow-up. The Indian health minister stopped it after it came to the public's attention. That is just so wrong! If someone did that to my child, I'd sue for blood and money. Big time.