The debate over Vaccines

For over 200 years vaccines have been the norm in countries all over the world. It has helped eradicate several diseases including the dreaded Polio. The major concern around vaccines seemed to be that because of the cost and logistics of getting it to every single corner of the world a significant portion of children, estimated by the WHO at around 20% were not able to receive vaccines.

It was therefore surprising to see a debate about vaccines in the US in 2015. A debate on whether parents can be compelled to have their children vaccinated. Earlier this week, the "federal government has confirmed more than 100 people across 14 states have now developed measles. Public health officials suspect the outbreak, which is concentrated in California, began when an infected person visited Disneyland in Anaheim in December."
http://www.democracynow.org/2015/2/5/inside_the_vaccine_war_measles_outbreak


The reasons being given for them to have a choice was the "Freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution". You would expect that these arguments were coming from a few people with radical views. These are mainly from the conservative right. I was shocked when a section of the Republican party seemed to endorse this point of view. Notable amongst them was Senator Paul Rand, who shockingly is a medical doctor. He claimed that vaccines can cause “profound mental disorders”.

Hence its no surprise that the Democrats are highlighting the dangers. Hilary Clinton contributed with her own tweet.

The point of view which advocates "Freedom" seems to have an extremely flawed understanding and interpretation of the word. "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" is a well-known phrase in the United States Declaration of Independence. When a group of people demand their right to choose, they forget that their right comes secondary to the the right of everybody else's, to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Hence any action or inaction by them that leads to anybody else losing their inalienable rights cannot be a right they have.

Hence its my contention that we have the freedom of choice if and only if, it does not encroach upon others freedom of choice as well as their inalienable rights. It is my opinion that getting ones children vaccinated is not a matter of choice. It would be irresponsible not to. Irresponsible to their child as well as society which would be unnecessarily exposing its children to the totally avoidable risk of being infected. All because a group of people claim that their rights take precedence over the rights of a society.