Are Mandatory School Vaccinations Constitutional?

[Peikko 1,575]

If someone is in a government school, then vaccinations should be mandatory, as they are in college.

If someone refuses to vaccinate, then yep, homeschooling is the best option.

Absolutely - the requirement to vaccinate protects everyone in this situation, including ironically those are un-vaccinated. Go figure.

[BobandXiaomei 14]

Vaccinations requirement for Texas Public Schools

Poliomyelitis (Polio) Students must have three doses of polio vaccine and one dose must have been received on or after the fourth birthday. Or, a student may have had four doses of polio vaccine (any combination of IPV and OPV) before the fourth birthday.

Read More: Why Vaccinate Against Polio?

Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis (DPT, DTaP) Students must have three doses of a vaccine containing diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis and one dose must have been received on or after the fourth birthday. One dose of a vaccine containing diphtheria and tetanus must have been received in the last ten years (a booster shot).

Read More: Why Vaccinate Against Diphtheria, Tetanus, or Pertussis?

Measles (MMR) Students must have two doses of a vaccine containing measles and one dose must have been received on or after the first birthday.

Read More: Why Vaccinate Against Measles, Mumps, or Rubella?

Rubella (MMR) Students must have one dose of a vaccine containing rubella and it must have been received on or after the first birthday.

Read More: Why Vaccinate Against Measles, Mumps, or Rubella?

Mumps (MMR) Students must have one dose of a vaccine containing mumps and it must have been received on or after the first birthday.

Read More: Why Vaccinate Against Measles, Mumps, or Rubella?

Hepatitis B Students must have three doses of a vaccine containing hepatitis B.

Read More: Why Vaccinate Against Hepatitis B?

Varicella (the chickenpox vaccine) Students must have one dose of a vaccine containing varicella and it must have been received on or after the first birthday. Two doses are required if the child was thirteen years old or older at the time of the first dose.

Read More: Why Vaccinate Against Chickenpox?

Hepatitis A Students must have two doses of a vaccine containing hepatitis A if they attend school in a high incidence geographic area or attend day care anywhere in Texas. It is recommended everyone get this vaccine, but it is not required to attend public schools in most places.

Read More: Why Vaccinate Against Hepatitis A?

That sure doesn't look like more than 20.

Expections/Exemptions are available in Texas

So what's the beef?

[Amby 490]

I have to have a TB test for my new university.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Absolutely - the requirement to vaccinate protects everyone in this situation, including ironically those are un-vaccinated. Go figure.

It's an alarmist mentality.

You 'might' get sick, so you can't go to this school unless you take our corporate show being pushed by pharmaceutical companies.

You 'might' get sick, so 'might' put others at risk.

Under this logic, we should all walk around wearing gas masks at the mall, in a movie theatre, etc. I mean after all, we 'might' get each other sick.

The Vaccine War is amusing - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/vaccines/view/ -

You cannot deny a public benefit/'right' based on some requirment.

[BobandXiaomei 14]

Again, there are expemptions available for certain situations. Counter arguments over civil rights so far have been sophomoric at best.

[Peikko 1,575]

It's an alarmist mentality.

You 'might' get sick, so you can't go to this school unless you take our corporate show being pushed by pharmaceutical companies.

You 'might' get sick, so 'might' put others at risk.

Under this logic, we should all walk around wearing gas masks at the mall, in a movie theatre, etc. I mean after all, we 'might' get each other sick.

The Vaccine War is amusing - http://www.pbs.org/w.../vaccines/view/ -

You cannot deny a public benefit/'right' based on some requirment.

No Paul, it's a quantifiable and known risk - infant mortality statistics tell the tale - you have no knowledge of how it was before vaccinations were widely available and seemingly nor do you care.

[BobandXiaomei 14]

No Paul, it's a quantifiable and known risk - infant mortality statistics tell the tale - you have no knowledge of how it was before vaccinations were widely available and seemingly nor do you care.

Yes.

And you CAN deny a public benefit based on a requirement. Try getting a drivers' license with bad and uncorrected vision.

[HAL 9000 96]

The Constitution... cherry-picked one amendment at a time.

[BobandXiaomei 14]

The Constitution... cherry-picked one amendment at a time.

With absurb and unfounded claims.

Still waiting for a list of those other 12+ vaccinations.

[Amby 490]

Paul - would you really put your children at risk of a possibly horrible death due to a preventable disease?

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Yes.

And you CAN deny a public benefit based on a requirement. Try getting a drivers' license with bad and uncorrected vision.

A DL is not a right. A public education is. Try again.

[BobandXiaomei 14]

A DL is not a right. A public education is. Try again.

That's it? That's the best you've got? Ok, I'll concede that. Is a passport a right? Gotta have your birth certificate for that one. (Poor choice 'eh?)

What are the other 12+ vaccinations? You've said twice that over 20 vaccinations were required. I listed 8 that Texas requires and the link for exempting yourself from them.

[Welshcookie 17]

I was quite alarmed at the number of vaccinations my son had to have before he could attend school, he was up to date with all his required UK vaccinations. Once we started with the immigration process he had 5, once we arrived in the US he had a further 3 before they accepted he was fully covered, in the UK he would have only had his Diphtheria, tetanus and polio booster at age 13 and that would have been it. It seems to me that more 'boosters' are given in the US. I thought it was complete over kill.

ETA..Vaccinations are not mandatory to attend school in the UK, I also found it quite a shock that it was here.

Edited August 23, 2010 by Welshcookie

[HAL 9000 96]

A DL is not a right. A public education is. Try again.

Is a public education... really a constitutional right?

[BobandXiaomei 14]

Is a public education... really a constitutional right?

No, but it's mandated by most states. I know it's hard to believe but Texas does require us to attend school.