A century ago, the average citizen had a lot more rights that they have today, but Chicken Pox, Measles, Mumps and other such diseases regularly swept through the community - and a small percentage of children died as a result. These diseases still exist but we have developed vaccines that keep today's children safe.
Unfortunately, there is a growing trend to refuse to vaccinate children because there is a small possibility of an allergic reaction to the needle shot. A band of fanatical opponents of vaccination in any form has set up a group that actively promotes the anti-vaccination cause on Facebook and Twitter. It totally lacks medical accreditation, but it advises parents to disbelieve what they are told by their GP and instead " read books " and become self taught medical specialists.
The problem is that vaccinations depend on a high degree of group compliance to deliver protection against what are termed " childhood diseases ", and because of this disinformation the ratio of un-vaccinated children is nearing critical mass. The actions of a " few " are putting the health of the " many " at risk !
A century ago any person could own a gun without the need for a license or registration. Many added to the family larder by shooting rabbits in hard times, but today access to guns are strictly controlled. When we drive in our cars, the law requires us to wear a seat belt for our own protection - and if we constantly refuse - our license to drive can be taken away. We even have to wear a helmet to ride a common old push bike.
We live in a democracy - but that does not confer unlimited rights. The rules that govern living in close proximity to others contain measures for our own safety and for that safety to extend to those around us. Vaccinating children certainly comes within that definition.
Our society tends to follow " fashionable trends " and the admonishment of the medically untrained who refuse vaccinations has spread doubt in the minds of otherwise reasonable people. It is just too easy to not get around to vital vaccinations on the spurious urgings of the anti vaccination people. We need the vaccinated pool of children to reach a higher level to achieve safety.
The easiest way to achieve this is to make enrolment in pre-schools, kindergarten or other forms of child care reliant on production of a valid vaccination certificate. The hard core anti-vaccination people will not be swayed, but most others will comply and safety can be achieved even if the rate of children covered is not one hundred percent.
Some will protest that their democratic rights are being ignored, but those rights have limits In a modern society we have an obligation to comply with rules that govern the safety of others !
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