Commentary: It’s time to make childhood vaccinations mandatory

It was just in December that Disneyland was struck by a measles outbreak. While the source of the outbreak is not definitively known, it is thought to have been caused by an international tourist to the amusement park who was infected with the virus.

This outbreak had many families fearful of going to “the Happiest Place on Earth” for some time. The outbreak spread outside of California and, on Jan. 23, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Health Advisory to notify the public of the multi-state outbreak and provide support to health care providers nationwide.

According to the CDC, there were 162 reported cases of measles in 19 states between Jan. 1 and April 17. It is not surprising that over 80% of these reported cases were among unvaccinated people or people who had unknown vaccination statuses.

From a 2012 study, the CDC reported that out of children ages 19 to 35 months, 91% were vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella. In the same study, 91.4% of adolescents ages 13 to 17 years old were vaccinated. These numbers have gone down in recent years.

Gradually, parents are choosing to use the personal exemption to not get their children vaccinated, citing personal beliefs and religion as their reasons for being against vaccinations. I believe that respecting an individual’s religious belief is important, but we need to face the fact that some parents take advantage of this exemption and that there are public health consequences for choosing not to vaccinate one’s child.

It is understandable that parents do not want to expose their children to potentially harmful substances, but the public needs to urge these parents to look at the research and make an informed decision either way. The CDC does not hide what is inside of these vaccinations.

The reason most often cited for desiring the exemption is that parents believe the vaccinations will cause more harm than good. We have made great strides in medicine, and it is unfortunate to not utilize these important medical advances, especially when it concerns protecting the health of society and affects the community at large.

Research has shown that these vaccinations, such as the MMR vaccine, are effective in preventing the contraction of diseases. People who recognize this truth have played a key part in bringing Senate Bill 277 to the forefront. Previously, parents were allowed to sign off on the personal exemption when enrolling their child in school.

Due to the efforts of state Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), parents now need to consult a medical physician and have their signature to have their exemption accepted. The bill, however, is expected to be amended to allow parents whose children are already in school exemptions, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

Mandating physician consultations has helped curb the number of families utilizing the personal belief exemption, but SB 277 takes this policy further by stating that families cannot opt out of vaccinations for reasons other than a medical condition.

The goal of SB 277 is to raise the number of vaccinated children to a safe level that will prevent an epidemic, which is on average 90% of the population. Choosing not to vaccinate one’s child poses many risks. Not only is the child more susceptible to infectious diseases, they can get their peers sick as their immune systems are still developing.

Children should be allowed to attend to schools without the fear of getting sick. These children can also pass on genes that are more susceptible to infectious diseases to future generations because they do not have the antibodies to fight against such diseases.

Mandatory vaccination is an important decision and often a contentious issue, but parents need to take into consideration the ramifications for choosing not to vaccinate their child and the public health concerns of the community.

As it currently stands, the Senate Education Committee has stalled the bill and compelled the authors to delay the vote, revisiting the language of the bill. We need to protect the right of our children to attend school as well as the health of the community, or else we may have a greater problem to deal with.

GRACE KANG is a graduate student in social work at USC’s Irvine campus.