Poll: Readers support mandatory vaccinations

Respondents to this week’s Argus-Courier online poll overwhelmingly support a move to prohibit parents from using their personal belief exemption to keep them from being forced to vaccinate their children.

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“I choose to vaccinate, but don’t believe in government policing of our bodies.”

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“I would only allow an exemption based on medical reasons. Allowing one on religious grounds only creates more problems.”

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“My kids attend a local public school with an abysmal vaccination rates. Parents should vaccinate, get a legitimate medical exemption or home school.”

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“No religious exemption either . . . You must be daft to think that religion is a grounds for not vaccinating.”

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“People have forgotten how deadly diseases like measles used to be. What’s next - not vaccinating against smallpox? Polio? Let’s be reasonable and not rely on junk science that says vaccinations are dangerous.”

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“Eliminate religious exemptions. Disease is not a matter of the mind or heart. It is an adverse biological result of highly contagious viruses in overtaking the human body. Disease is preventable with vaccination. Plus, many diseases such as measles and polio are still endemic in many parts of the world, so travelers or tourists can bring them here from other countries.”

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“All kids should be vaccinated for measles, pertussis, polio and mumps. If a parent opts not to have the kid vaccinated then the child should not be allowed to go to a public school unless there is one set up specifically for those not vaccinated. I have a lot of concern for children who are immune deficient and are placed at risk by those who aren’t vaccinated.”

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“Parents who refuse to vaccinate put me and my vaccinated kids at extremely low risk of getting measles, etc. But they do put people, like transplant recipients who are immuno-surpressed or otherwise medically unable to vaccinate, at high risk. I find the attitude selfish given the documented risk-benefit profiles of vaccines.”

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“This is a scary precedent if we allow government to choose what we put into our kids bodies. Whether or not you’re pro or anti vaccination, you have to agree that morally and ethically no government should have that power. On another note, maybe you should look into the fact that vaccine manufacturers have immunity from any lawsuits against them for any side effects or bodily harm. If these vaccines are so safe, why would they need to be granted immunity from prosecution?”

Correction

In last week’s edition, it was incorrectly reported that readers favored fluoridated water in Petaluma. The majority of voters actually opposed putting fluoride in the city’s water supply. The finally tally had 52.3 percent of respondents opposing fluoridation and 42.9% favoring it.