State mandated administration of childhood vaccinations is justified

This will be a PF-style debate. First round is accepting and constructive, second round crossfire. Third round will be rebuttals, fourth is final CX. Last round will be Final Focuses. I affirm. Resolved: State mandated administration of childhood vaccinations is justified. Contention 1: The status quo is not working Subpoint A: Herd immunity is currently threatened. With the current movement of parents refusing to vaccinate their children, the US's herd immunity strategy is being threatened. In 2006, 219 cases of mumps were reported in Iowa, well above Iowa's yearly average of 5 cases. 34% of those infected did not get the recommended immunizations. In February, PBS reported that there were 13 cases of measles following the Superbowl; all 13 of them had refused vaccination. The health of other communities around the United States is also threatened because of too-low vaccination levels. The CDC reports that In Montana, only 59% of children get common childhood vaccinations. Only 69% in Northern California received them. These levels are NOT adequate, as the CDC reports that levels of up to 95% are required to maintain herd immunity. Because of the public health risk posed by the lack of herd immunity and because the state must protect its people, that state- mandated vaccinations are justified. Subpoint B: Mandated vaccination is the only way to ensure that the HPV vaccination is administered. Each year, HPV causes cancer in 15,000 females and 7,000 males. 6.2 million new cases are reported each year. Vamos, Mcdermott and Daley reported in 2008 that the HPV infection is prevalent in 25% of females from 14-19 years old and 45% of females 20-24. According to the CDC's 2010 National Immunization Survey, only 32% of female teens in the United States have fully received the recommended HPV vaccinations. Many parents refuse to vaccinate their children solely because they expect their children to remain virgins until marriage; they believe that the vaccine will give their children a green light to have sex. However, sexual intercourse is not always a result of choice. The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network reports that 1 out of every 6 American women has been a victim of rape in her lifetime. Even if a child follows the parents' expectations, there is still an uncomfortably large chance he or she may be raped. State-mandated childhood vaccinations are justified as the only realistic way to protect rape victims from HPV. Contention 2: Mandatory Vaccinations protect those who are most vulnerable Subpoint A: Mandatory Vaccinations will help those of lower economic classes. Without mandates, the CDC stated, "Coverage for most vaccines remained lower for children living below poverty than children living at or above poverty." A study by Kievens and Luman noted, "The difference in estimated vaccination coverage between children living in severe poverty and those living above poverty was…10.0 percentage points in 1999." Furthermore, according to Stewart and Cox, the vaccination levels of children under 35 months old living in and near poverty was about 77%. This means one in four children living in or near poverty have not received adequate vaccinations. Without them, these children are much more vulnerable to common diseases that could easily be avoided. With state mandated childhood vaccination, these children will receive vaccinations that may save their lives. Therefore, protecting the entire population, not just those who are better off, justifies state-mandated childhood vaccinations. Subpoint B: Mandatory vaccination is key to protecting the safety of those who cannot get vaccinated for health reasons. The health and lives of children who cannot be vaccinated are at risk from their parent's refusal to vaccinate their healthy children. "Those who cannot be vaccinated, including young babies, transplant, and cancer patients, depend on the immunity of the herd to protect them." Unvaccinated children can contract disease and spread it to those unable to be protected. "In 2008 in San Diego, a 7-year-old boy whose parents refused vaccines contracted measles while on a family trip to Switzerland. … the boy went to school and infected four other kids at school, after having already infected his two siblings. He then infected four other children who happened to be in the waiting room…. Three of those children were too young to have received their MMR vaccines. One of those infants was hospitalized; another traveled on an airplane while infectious." (Tatel, 09, slate.com) The fact that those who are unable to get vaccinations are vulnerable to vaccine-preventable disease justifies mandating that the rest of the population receive the vaccination. Mandatory vaccinations protect both the minority and the majority. For these reasons, I urge your strongest affirmative vote. Sources 1 http://www.cdc.gov... 2 http://www.pbs.org... 3 http://www.cdc.gov... 4. http://www.sltrib.com... 5.http://www.cdc.gov... 6 http://www.rainn.org... 7.http://www.cdc.gov... 8 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov... 9 http://www.law.suffolk.edu... 10http://www.slate.com...