And yes, it is not all in the parents heads, thing can and do go wrong from vaccinations. That is why they have you sign the disclaimer saying that you understand that things can and may go wrong before they vaccinate.
How about unless they are imminent danger of loss of life, limb or eyesight we keep out of it.
If the parents want to play with their kids lives, they have the right to do so. If they guess wrong and cause death or permanent injury to their kids because of their beliefs, they should be prosecuted just like an ordinary criminal.
I remember when I got the oral Polio vaccine and was glad to get it. I also remember that when there was a Polio outbreak in town, I could not go to the pool, the movie house, or any place else where there were a lot of people congregating. I also remember one kid in my grade school class who died from it.
George Washington underwent a treatment for smallpox at his brother’s urging, as I recall. It was dangerous, but deemed worth the risk.
When I was a kid I suffered through mumps, measles and chicken pox. I would have been glad to have gotten a few shots. I heard that mothers used to organize sleep overs so that all kids would be infected at the same time; there was an inherent risk in that, one substantially greater than inoculation.
There’s one point I’m not sure about, but seems critical: are there added risks in having a segment of the population remain vulnerable? Could that pool of non-vaccinated people become a breeding ground where resistant strains could develop and infect the rest of us?
Like I say, I don’t know enough about epidemiology to say. I tend to think though that there is a possibility, and if so, vaccination should be mandatory.
I may be thinking of tuberculosis— until a few years ago considered nearly eradicated. The cause of the resurgence was not vaccination but irresponsible use of antibiotics and a population of people with compromised immune systems.
There may be a connection between this and vaccination, though indirect. For example, should people who refuse vaccination be offered free antibiotics if they become ill with any of those diseases?