Disclaimer: I am not a parent, and therefore my opinions may be immediately rejected by some parents as not being founded on experience; but, unless they are lawyers, my legal opinion on whether taking a substantial risk of harming someone else with a harmful disease based on a “personal choice” will probably trump theirs. So, take that.
That said, there has been a massive outbreak of Measles, spreading to 14 States, with 102 reported infected, originating from un-vaccinated kids infecting children at Disneyland. More cases are expected, and the anti-vaxxers are potentially putting other people at risk.
Conservative politicians continue to give credence to the idea that the government should not be able to force you to vaccinate your children, all the while admitting that they themselves vaccinate their own children. Just listen to Chris Christie’s comments on the matter here:
My problem is this: the measles vaccine is 99% effective, of all the potential causes of autism, vaccinations have been the most thoroughly investigated by scientists and have consequently been ruled out, and the measles virus is the most infectious virus known to man.
So, failing to vaccinate your kids, and taking your kids to Disney Land, exposing kids to a dangerous, contagious, life-threatening virus, despite all the knowledge in the world that doing so poses a significant risk to others, is de facto negligence. And, I hope every parent that has a child infected with the measles from one of these kids tracks down the anti-vaxxer who’s kid infected their kid, and sues them for every dime they have.
You don’t have a choice on whether or not to have your child wear a seatbelt in the car. You do not have a choice on whether or not to feed your child. This is not about parental “choice”, it’s about rejecting science. Turning a blind eye to science has become a standard operating procedure for this country’s conservatives, and that behavior is dangerous. However there are some out there that are not a part of Jenny Mccarthy’s junk science crowd. Listen to Bill Frist, a medical professional and former Republican Senator from the State of Tennessee on vaccines.
Follow me at @DavidTDorer, listen to the David Dorer Show live every Friday (Available on iTunes and on Stitcher). Also, make sure to check out Talking Law with David Dorer every Wednesday. (Available on iTunes and on Stitcher).