Vaccination Programs Require An Intact Informed Consent Doctrine

Foolish Vaccine Exemptions

I totally disagree with the stance taken by the New York Times. Vaccination, while a useful tool for preventing a lot of diseases, can be harmful. There are legitimate medical reasons for not wanting a child to be vaccinated, not the least of which is evidence that what we once thought about certain vaccines are no longer true (i.e. Measles and Shingles). While there is ample dispute over some sicentific evidence, the DPTT combination was changed after years of so-called "safe" administration because it was linked to high fevers, seizures and long-term unfavorable outcomes.

While I am personally in favor of most vaccination programs, there needs to be some room for decision-making under the "informed consent" doctrine that is inherent in the practice of medicine. When the state mandates a vaccination without an opt-out approach built-in to the process, it becomes a tyrant. An education prgram, genuine and verifiable scientific evidence (from multiple sources), and the informed consent of parents/patients is the way to go.

States that make it easy for parents to opt out of vaccinating their children are suffering increased disease rates as a consequence, according to an article published yesterday in The Journal of the American Medical Association. The findings should be a warning to all parents and state officials who think they can let their guards down on immunizations that are needed to protect both the children and the communities in which they live.

We saw what happened in Indiana last year when measles broke out among children who had been schooled at home and thus avoided the compulsory shots required of those who attend public schools. At least 34 people became ill, of whom three were hospitalized, one with life-threatening complications. Their families had succumbed to fears that the vaccine was dangerous, forgetting that the disease itself was the real danger.

Now the new article by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Florida and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has taken a broad look at the rates of whooping cough in the 48 states that allow people to be exempted from required shots for various nonmedical reasons. All 48 of the states allow exemptions based on religious objections, but 19 of them also allow exemptions based on philosophical or other personal beliefs. Some states make it easy for parents to claim an exemption by simply signing a prewritten statement on the school immunization form. Others make it harder by requiring a signature from a local health official, a personally written letter, notarization or annual renewal.