The ongoing debate on whether vaccination for children should be mandated has hit close to home. The recent addition of a new member to my family, my nephew, Ayden, sparked the debate on this important health issue. The opposing claims to the effects of vaccination lead to an eventual decision to have my nephew vaccinated. His parents’ initial reluctance to approve the vaccine for their healthy newborn was largely due to the misconception that vaccines can cause autism, a claim that has been disproved by the medical community.

Vaccination laws are state, not federal. Currently, 47 states in the United States allow exemptions for childhood vaccinations on the basis of religion; 18 states permit both personal and religious exemptions while Minnesota only allows personal exemptions. On the other hand, Mississippi and West Virginia are the only states to not allow any exemption on any grounds besides that which is medical. Most states do not require an official statement explaining the reasons for wanting an exemption. For example, in California, a parent can simply check off the “exempt” box on a school immunization form without ever being questioned. Such leniency on obtaining an exemption had led to a major issue, one that is of public health.

Medical professionals report that the vaccination for measles is extremely important due to the high contagiousness of the disease. It is a virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person and it is transmitted through coughing and sneezing, or close direct contact with infected nasal or throat secretions. It can cause severe health complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis. About 90% of unimmunized persons around an infected person will become infected.

The recent 23 measles outbreaks in 2014 included a major outbreak of 383 cases, taking place primarily among unvaccinated Amish communities in Ohio. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the majority of people who got measles were unvaccinated. Very recently, in 2015, the United States has experienced a major measles outbreak in several states and the origin of this outbreak has been linked to an amusement park in California – one of the states that allows exemptions for medical reasons and “personal beliefs.” As of April 24^th of this year, 5 measles outbreaks and 166 cases have been reported in 19 states and the District of Columbia.

In 2000, health authorities declared that measles was no longer native to the United States leading to the conclusion that the outbreaks must have been caused by infected international travelers. Mandatory vaccination of all children could have prevented such an outbreak. Unvaccinated children are 22% to 35% more likely to contract measles than those kids who are vaccinated against it. Presently, the California legislature is going to mandate that all children who are not homeschooled or enrolled in an independent study program be vaccinated completely- under the recommendation of the CDC. This is a crucial step in public health because there are parents who don’t allow their children to be vaccinated because of incorrect information. It becomes a public health issue when misinformed parents base their decisions regarding vaccination on invalid news outlets instead of on credible scientific research. The point is clear – vaccination must be mandated to secure the health of the general public.

This post was written by a student enrolled in the Capstone Seminar course in the undergraduate program in public policy at Hunter College. Any opinions expressed here are solely those of the student.