Should routine childhood immunizations be compulsory?

Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health
David IsaacsH Marshall

Abstract

Routine childhood immunizations are compulsory in a small number of countries, including the United States of America. Arguments used to justify making immunizations compulsory include enhancing the health of the community and treating as paramount the rights of the child to be protected against vaccine-preventable diseases. But compulsory immunization infringes the autonomy of parents to make choices about child rearing, an autonomy which we generally respect unless doing so seriously endangers the child's health. We present a historical review and ethics discussion on whether routine childhood immunizations should be compulsory. We conclude that, for both ethical and practical reasons, routine immunization should not be compulsory if adequate levels of immunization can be achieved by other means.

References

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Citations

Nov 18, 2008·Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health·Julie Leask, Kristine Macartney
Sep 29, 2011·Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health·Julie LeaskIan Kerridge
Oct 8, 2009·American Journal of Public Health·Helen MarshallMaureen Watson
Jun 15, 2011·Lancet·Adam Finn, Julian Savulescu
Nov 26, 2008·Vaccine·David IsaacsBernadette Tobin
Apr 12, 2016·The Journal of Infection·Cecilia Lee, Joan L Robinson
Jan 21, 2015·American Journal of Public Health·Annette Braunack-MayerHelen Marshall
Jun 29, 2012·New South Wales Public Health Bulletin·David Isaacs
Sep 21, 2010·Medicine, Health Care, and Philosophy·Erik MalmqvistMatti Lehtinen
Feb 9, 2017·Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health·Julie Leask, Margie Danchin

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