I'm not sure how I feel about this honestly. It makes me think that the kids are being punished for their parents's faults.
...Of course some kids would KILL to never have to go to school ever, but I'm trying to think in the long run
Yeah the kids get the brunt of the punishment for sure. It's probably done to conserve herd immunity or prevent an outbreak. It's hard to convert a zealot or a fanatic which is what I count most all anti-vax people. This punishment may seem unreasonable, but how are you supposed to deal with an unreasonable cult? I'm going to assume the solution being implemented isn't going to work for schools or for the kids and will be reverted. This will probably be seen as a win for the anti-vaxers and reinforce their minds that they are right. So it's really a losing game here sadly.
It’s tough but there isn’t a lot to be done to insulate kids from the actions of parents without having the state take over parenting. Kids can’t consent to medical treatment, so asking the kids if they want vaccines so they can go to school- even if good and well intentioned violates the spirit of the reasoning kids can’t consent to medical treatment. “Good” or not you’re coercing a child who by their nature can’t give informed consent. Philosophically that’s bad but beyond philosophy it sets dangerous precedent.
Of course... by their choice or not the kids are dangerous to others. We could blame bad parenting for a host of child crimes or for the poverty faced by many young adults or so many things... but ultimately a child’s success and quality of life up until adulthood depends a great deal upon their parents. One kid can’t go to regular school because their parents didn’t get them vaccinated. Another kids parents choose to homeschool them because they do t agree with the curriculum or chose a job that travels a lot or they think they can do better than the school.
We may hem and haw over wether it’s right to keep a kid from going to the same school as these other kids because their parents didn’t give them the upbringing (vaccines) to qualify- but what about kids who’s parents didn’t do well enough or save enough so they could go to college with the other kids? Or the kids who won’t be able to be on the school sports team because their parents never signed them up for little league or what not?
When parents make one choice for their child we seek not to obsess over it too much. But when they make another we think of it differently. If we ultimately decided not vaccinating children was child abuse or neglect worthy of losing some or all parental rights over... that’s one thing. But so long as we don’t consider it abuse- we can’t really treat one decision a parent makes which effects their child any different than another.
Of course- considering not vaccinating child abuse also raises some serious concerns. Like- what else would be considered child neglect? Even if we draw the line at that which would cause potential medical risk... what risks can parents take? Would circumcision be mandatory since for so long the medical community considered being uncut a social and medical risk?
Lack of exercise? Missing a yearly physical? Poor diet? It’s splitting hairs but those are hairs that would very likely be split. There’s certainly a public interest in protecting the general public from the personal choices of others, but allowing personal freedom with consequence and compromise is one thing versus completely removing all choice. No freedom is absolute. NONE.
Every single freedom granted under the law has a limitation to it. A circumstance it can be curtailed, suspended, or revoked. All freedoms granted under law come with the caveat that there is a responsibility inherent to freedom. So a law which requires vaccination is inherently against the constitution. It invalidates any argument of “my body my choice” and defines a precedent that if deemed important enough the government can dictate what you do with your body. However- it is NOT unconstitutional to place restrictions upon ones ability to endanger others. So as long as people have the choice to not get vaccinated if they’d rather take personal responsibility for ensuring they do so safely to others: there is an unhappy compromise.
There is only one reason you shouldn't be vaccinated and that's genuine health risks. Some people have really bad reactions to vaccines and that's why they need herd immunity.
I am not anti vax, but I mean the government tested syphilis in blacks for decades at the speech that vaccinations were needed. I mean if you get up in that, you could see how it's hard for anyone to trust them.
Certainly. Heck- my mother, my doctor- even without the history of the US government and its secrets or lies- there are few people of trust blindly to stick a needle in me and say “trust me. This is good for you...” However... if antivax wants to say the entirety of the mainstream scientific and medical community are part of a massive cover up... then conduct actual peer reviewed research of your own. Not just having the vaccine analyzed and saying “it contains chemicals commonly found in many every day things but potentially dangerous on their own...” Show the statistical proof, a direct correlation between vaccines and health issues.
It’s not just the US- many countries vaccinate- and many make vaccination a legal mandate. If most of the world or even a large part of it opposed vaccination or held it as a public health risk- I could support the argument for the last indiscretions of the IS government. But this isn’t just the US government. I could still understand especially those people from groups targeted in the last by the US government, and working with public healthcare to have some reservations: but they can choose any doctor they like- heck... you can vaccinate yourself if you like.
...Of course some kids would KILL to never have to go to school ever, but I'm trying to think in the long run