A CRS report(1) for Congress (dated January 18, 2005) provided a summary about Mandatory Vaccinations: Precedent and Current Laws.
Historically, the preservation of public health has been the responsibility of state and local governments. The states do use the schedule of immunizations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a guide, which includes vaccines for diphtheria, measles, rubella and polio. Many states provide for exemptions from receiving vaccinations for medical, religious and philosophical reasons. However, if a person refuses to be vaccinated, they may be quarantined during a public health emergency.
There is a Public Health Service Act which grants authority to the Federal Secretary of Health and Human Services to make and enforce regulations related to the spread of communicable diseases coming from foreign countries. Another federal agency, the Food and Drug Administration, through the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) (2) is directed to ensure the safety, purity, potency and effectiveness of vaccines.
From the citizens perspective, there are concerns about the safety of vaccines; quality and impact of ingredients to a persons health. There are a number of organizations that act as watchdogs on the pharmaceutical companies that produce the vaccines and the agencies that administer them. A couple are referenced below. From the Vaccine Risk Awareness website, “It can reasonably be assumed that some vaccines do cause damage to children or we would not have the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979. The list of diseases to which this act applies includes measles and rubella as well as diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough.”
On February 22, 2011 the U.S. Supreme Court shielded drug companies from all liability for harm caused by vaccines mandated by government when companies could have made a safer vaccine. (4)
Here are more questions as food for thought. Do vaccines provide a sense of health security to the individual and, collectively, to the U.S. public? How often is the necessity of vaccinations reassessed? Can individuals be tested for existence of antibodies before a vaccination is automatically administered? Are parents of infants or adults informed about the risks of vaccines so they can make an informed decision? What should the role of physicians and pharmaceutical companies be? If it is profitable, they have a financial incentive (5) to administer vaccinations. Is this in the best interest of the individual?
The closer the decision-making is to the individual person, the more tailored the decision will be that individual’s needs. Mandatory vaccinations for the entire population is very costly, may not be necessary and can be damaging.
We believe in personal sovereignty and your and your child’s freedom to not be immunized, as well we believe that if it can be proven you pose a health risk to the public the State or local governments should have a right to quarantine you for the good of the public.
Sources:
(1) This five page report provides history and precedent, school vaccination requirements, vaccination orders during a public health emergency, and the role of the Federal Government relating to mandatory vaccination. There are extensive references within the report for further reading. Web link: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/RS21414.pdf
(2) Web link: http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/default
(3) Web link: http://www.vaccineriskawareness.com
(4) Web link: http://www.nvic.org/NVIC-Vaccine-News/March-2011/No-Pharma-Liability–No-Vaccine-Mandates-.aspx
(5) Web link: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/11/30/vaccine_revolution.ART_ART_11-30-09_A10_7NFQQE7.html
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