Make vaccines mandatory

Right now, the United States is in the middle of the largest measles outbreak since 1994. The cause? Parents are refusing to vaccinate their children. Why, you may ask? The anti-vaxxers either believe that there is not enough evidence to prove the safety of vaccines, or they believe they cause autism or other disorders.

These claims are completely false. There have been hundreds of studies done on how safe vaccines are, and side effects are extremely rare. It has also been shown that there is no link whatsoever between vaccines and autism. Even if there was a risk of a child developing autism, I would still rather have an autistic child over a very ill or even deceased child.

I believe that vaccines should be required under law. If a parent refuses to vaccinate their child, I feel that they should possibly be tried for child abuse/neglect. This is both for the good of the child and for the good of society. Measles was declared eliminated in 2000, and now there have been 839 cases in 2019 alone. If we want to thrive as a society, vaccines should be required.

Nolin Kavon

Spokane