Do you think the government should mandate vaccinations? [View all]

[gollygee]

Require them, and not allow parents to opt out?

I ask because my mother-in-law was staying with me this past week, and I took one of my kids in for a vaccine (the HPV one) and my mother-in-law started ranting about parents who don't vaccinate their kids, and how the government should require it and not allow parents to decide against it, unless their child has an egg allergy or is physically unable to safely have a shot for some other reason. I asked if the kids should be put in foster care for that reason and she said no but they could be taken long enough to be given shots and then be brought back home. I asked about parents who have religious objections and she said it's fine for them to object to medical care for themselves, but not for their kids - that parents don't own their kids. Which felt uncomfortable to me. I don't feel like I own my kids but I do feel like I'm the person they're entrusted to or whatever and that I should be able to make medical decisions for them, so I was arguing the position of people who don't vaccinate their kids when I do vaccinate my kids.

This conversation made me wonder about DU, which is very pro-vaccine, but also as of late has a libertarian bent. Which wins, the vaccines or the liberty?

I will put out there that I do not consider myself to have a libertarian bent, and I vaccinate my kids and feel strongly about it, but I would not mandate vaccinations. It feels very Big Brother-ish to me. I don't know if I'm the norm or not, but maybe I will find out if enough people vote in this poll.

13 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Yes, vaccines should be mandatory. No opting out.
	11 (85%)
	No, parents can make this medical decision for their kids and refuse.
	2 (15%)
	Other
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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