Making immunisations mandatory

[MK Shrimper]

What with the rise of measles across the country after the **** stirring by the "popular" media and that shyster Andrew Wakefield, should the immunisation of all children become mandatory? Punishable by a nice big fine of the threat of a spell inside may entice those who think that they're being clever to get their kids the jabs that could save their lives.

Thoughts?

 

[Davros]

Whilst i am in favour of making it mandatory, i cannot see it happening. The problem/beauty (depending on your persuasion), is that with our healthcare system, you have the right to choose, so for example, if you are a Jehovahs Witness, you have the right to refuse blood tranfusion etc... On this basis, i cannot see how immunisation can be mandatory.

That said, you would have to be an idiot to refuse these jabs. People do not realise how lucky they are, and the free benefits their child recieves from this service. I think people who try and be clever should take a look at Africa, where millions of children die because they cannot get access to a jab that costs 50 pence, and realise how lucky they are, and that these jabs stop what happens in the 3rd world happening here.

 

[EastStandBlue]

A bit totalitarian, isn't it? As Davros says, every citizen should have the right to choose whichever health care services they receive.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

A bit totalitarian, isn't it? As Davros says, every citizen should have the right to choose whichever health care services they receive.

I rather like the American system where (apparently) jabs aren't mandatory but you can't get your kids into a public school unless they've been vaccinated.

 

[Davros]

A bit totalitarian, isn't it? As Davros says, every citizen should have the right to choose whichever health care services they receive.

I never said every citizen should have the right to choose... only that they do :winking:

 

[Pubey]

I rather like the American system where (apparently) jabs aren't mandatory but you can't get your kids into a public school unless they've been vaccinated.

I agree with Barna.

  Spoiler:  

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

What Pubey said.

I also think there needs to be some tar and feathering* of the journalists and publications that, deliberately for financial gain, whipped up the furore that endangered kids' health.


*other forms of accountability may be available

 

[MK Shrimper]

A bit totalitarian, isn't it? As Davros says, every citizen should have the right to choose whichever health care services they receive.

The child isn't making the choice though are they? The parents are putting their child in danger of a death that is easily prevented.

 

[OldBlueLady]

I don't think you can make it mandatory because I think there are some vaccines which contain things which babies/children could be allergic to - I'm thinking particularly of egg protein. I'd urge anyone to have their children vaccinated, as long as your child doesn't have a potentially dangerous allergy, I think it would be foolish not to. The risks from the illnesses which immunisation protect you from far outweigh the potential risk of the actual jab.

 

[steveo]

People should have the choice. In a similar way that the banks were blamed for lending money to people who couldnt pay it back, at some stage you need to give the responsibility to people and let them make their own decisions.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

I agree with Barna.

Christ alive, so do I.

 

[BrettieAngell]

Christ alive, so do I.

I'm surprised the internet didn't just explode!

 

[Special Blue]

What with the rise of measles across the country after the **** stirring by the "popular" media and that shyster Andrew Wakefield, should the immunisation of all children become mandatory? Punishable by a nice big fine of the threat of a spell inside may entice those who think that they're being clever to get their kids the jabs that could save their lives.

Thoughts?

I take it you never had to make this decision regarding mmr?
I had too as did many friends.
As a new parent I was ******** myself if i should have taken my now fourteen year old all over the country to get the individual jabs or go for
the one,(assuming they were availabe)
Thankfully it worked out for all.
Don't think today it could ever be made mandatory.
It also doesn't help when you had a PM who declines to answer whether their child has had the singular jab or not!

 

[MK Shrimper]

I take it you never had to make this decision regarding mmr?
I had too as did many friends.
As a new parent I was ******** myself if i should have taken my now fourteen year old all over the country to get the individual jabs or go for
the one,(assuming they were availabe)
Thankfully it worked out for all.
Don't think today it could ever be made mandatory.
It also doesn't help when you had a PM who declines to answer whether their child has had the singular jab or not!

Yes I have, and not for one second did I not think it was the best thing for my kid.

 

[MK Shrimper]

People should have the choice. In a similar way that the banks were blamed for lending money to people who couldnt pay it back, at some stage you need to give the responsibility to people and let them make their own decisions.

Again, it's not the child who maybe killed or made blind by measles who makes the decision for them. Education is mandatory, so why not this?

 

[OldBlueLady]

Again, it's not the child who maybe killed or made blind by measles who makes the decision for them. Education is mandatory, so why not this?

For the reason I gave Paul. Now, if you wanted to qualify it and say "mandatory unless there are medical reasons", then I would agree.

 

[Jam_Man]

Am I right though in that the MMR was questioned, but individual vaccinations were still meant to be ok? If so even parents who bought that nonsense in the first place could have had their kids vaccinated.

I saw Melanie Sykes on TV a not long ago still banging the drum that MMR does have a link to autism despite there being no medical evidence that it does.

As for the poll you cant force people to get vaccinated but did we get a choice when we had our TB jabs ? Seemed pretty compulsory when we had that done at school?

 

[Napster]

I don't think it should be mandatory.

















It should be ******* mandatory.

 

[MK Shrimper]

For the reason I gave Paul. Now, if you wanted to qualify it and say "mandatory unless there are medical reasons", then I would agree.

Yep, agreed.

 

[southend4ever]

Make it mandatory - decrease the risk of a number of outbreaks! When we say mandatory - let's think logistics... bring the docs/nurses to schools to give the vaccines?