Many states provide religious, medical, or philosophical exemptions for those who need them. These advocates are calling for legislation that would mandate vaccines for all children. There is no easy answer to the first question. Each family must prayerfully make that decision for their own children. The goal of this article is to explain why mandatory immunizations are troublesome, why existing exemptions to immunization regulations are important, and what your rights as parents are regarding the vaccination of your children.
Vaccines can sometimes cause permanent injury and death.
The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Compensation Program has paid out over 1 billion dollars in damages to families for injuries and deaths following a vaccine reaction. This figure does not include the estimated one to ten percent of vaccine injuries that are not reported. There are no genetic or lab screening tests available to determine which children will react to a vaccine. There is no doubt some vaccines harm some children. No parents can be completely assured that a vaccine administered to their children will be safe.