Arguments Against Vaccines

Last July, BBC News reported that California had passed a law that would make vaccines mandatory for all California students regardless of personal or religious exemptions (BBC News). A California grassroots group by the name of A Voice for Choice, led by Christina Hildebrand has responded to this issue by making a statement that “Countries like Sweden and Germany and a few other European countries that have much more reduced vaccine schedules are not seeing serious outbreaks of things” (Seipel). However, in this same BBC News article, California Senator Richard Pan has stated that "It's unfortunate that so many of them have been made fearful of vaccines from misinformation," and that "I think the vast majority of Californians understand

Put a price to it and DONATE THAT AMOUNT NOW to Repeal SB277!” (Seipel). The leader of the grassroots campaign, Christina Hildebrand, has stated in an interview that “Countries like Sweden and Germany and a few other European countries that have much more reduced vaccine schedules are not seeing serious outbreaks of things” (ibid). She states this to show that although they are extremely helpful when trying to eradicate a disease, vaccines do not always need to be used in order to ensure safety of the American population by saying that they “plan to consult with about two dozen lawmakers to pitch an amendment that they say would "clean up" SB 277 by removing two of the 10 shots now required by the state of California -- tetanus and hepatitis B -- both of which they say are not communicable diseases” (ibid). A Voice for Choice however, is not the only group to be against such mandates that remove the choice from the American

Martha Presley uses the idea that mandated vaccines will increase behavior that may not have been prevalent otherwise such as sexual activity (Presley). Specifically, Presley says “Thus far, discussion of the controversy has focused on such practicalities as… a fear that it will increase teenage promiscuity or create a false sense of protection from sexually transmitted infections ("STIs"), and concerns that mandating the shots undermines parental decision-making” (ibid). She believes that allowing children to be mandated to receive vaccines such as the HPV vaccine gives children the ability to have sex by “allowing minors to make sexual health decisions without parental consent”