State mandated administration of childhood vaccinations is justified

"Why are Christians, Mormons, and Jehovah's Witnesses opposed to vaccination?" The bible teaches that there are unclean animals and that we are not to put the unclean into our bodies (Deuteronomy 14). – Vaccines are made from blood products and tissue of animals. "How many parents of these said religions oppose childhood vaccinations?" Despite the numbers of those who are opposed to vaccinations on religious grounds, the constitution supports the right to practice religion freely. Mandating vaccinations imposes on the individuals ability to deny these vaccinations without being seen (in the legal world) as a criminal. "How many children actually get these rare yet serious side effects?" More than 12,000 adverse reactions to vaccines are reported each year. If the rate of under-reporting is considered, this number should be closer to 120,000. Vaccine-related deaths occurring each year may be over 1000. The compensation portion of the Vaccine Injury Act awards up to $250,000 if a child dies from a vaccination or millions in dollars to cover lifelong medical bills, pain and suffering in the case of a brain-damaged child. By 1997, more than $802 million had been awarded for hundreds of injuries and deaths (5000 cases, 700 of which were deaths). Thousands of cases are still pending and the estimated future liability for the government exceeds $1.7 billion. "What scientific studies prove your second contention, subpoint B?" Joseph Mercola, "Vaccines and Immune Suppression," www.mercola.com (accessed Jan. 5, 2010). Feel free to also examine http://www.whale.to.... "Are you advocating that instead of vaccinating, children should choose to strengthen their immune systems naturally?" Not necessarily, but I do not think it is right to believe or claim that vaccination is the only way to protect public health and ensure that diseases disappear. The possibility that a child's immune system can overcome diseases still exists and is an alternative to vaccination. Practicing sanitation and cleanliness also helps to minimize the impact of diseases. "Aren't very young children (under 1 year old) especially susceptible to disease, especially without vaccinations?" Young children are susceptible to diseases, but this does not necessarily mean that vaccination is the reasonable alternative. Adults who come into contact with these young children, should be made aware of the impact of cleanliness and sanitation. "Do you believe that if a large percentage of the population favors/opposes something, the government should do as the population says?" It is in the governments and peoples best interest to keep opinion in mind. There is no legal coverage under which the federal government could reasonably mandate vaccination (as it is also, again, constitutionally violation), and this will be known if they were to attempt to ball a law similar to the one proposed. "Is one of the duties of the government to protect its citizens?" Protecting the citizens entitles protecting their constitutional rights as individuals. "Should the government intervene when parents deprive their children of food?" And the answer is yes, but the difference between food and vaccination is that the lack of food means direct physical harm to the child without any room for doubt. Not being vaccinated does not mean that the child is going to, without a doubt, catch a deadly or harmful disease. The difference lies in the effect it has on the child, and your comparison of these two items is unreasonable and shocking. These are two entirely different entities, as they also reflect two different mind-settings of the parent. If the parents denies a child food than they are, in one way or another, trying to inflict harm or deny the child of something that they couldn't live without. This is not the same for vaccination. A child CAN live without being vaccinated, and the child can pursue a happy life. Vaccine, as defined by dictionary.com, is "a substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against one or several diseases, prepared from the causative agent of a disease, its products..." This means that vaccinations themselves introduce small amounts of these diseases into the child's bodies in the hopes that their immune system can build up defenses against it. What is the possibility that these introduced organisms could be detrimental to the child's physical or mental health? What are the long-term effects of the HPV vaccination you said should be mandated, in Contention 1 Subpoint B? What evidence do you have that vaccination is always effective (using Measles, mumps, small pox, polio and Hib as examples)? Why is vaccination a reasonable alternative to the naturally developed immune system? What legal heading could the Federal Government put mandated vaccination under? What Religions are not opposed to vaccination? In terms of percentage, how effective is this vaccine after the first dose? After each subsequent dose? Quantifiably speaking, what are the child's chances of catching Disease X if vaccinated? Unvaccinated? What about catching AND spreading it? Do you have a list of ingredients for these vaccine/s suggested? Has there been any independent, longitudinal research on the safety of these ingredients? Can you please tell me about studies done proving the safety of adjuvants, particularly aluminum? Hepatitis B: Why does any newborn need Hep B, if the mother is negative, and Hep B is mainly transmitted through sexual contact or sharing needles?