MMR jab should be compulsory for all children starting school

The health minister of Wales is considering to make vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella (also called the MMR vaccine) compulsory before children start school. There is a discussion about this because at this moment Wales experiences the largest outbreak of measles since the MMR vaccine was introduced 20 years ago. Recent research results show that a quarter of the Welsh children under the age of five did not get vaccinated for all three diseases, which means that if it was made compulsory it would prevent many children from getting ill. The minister of health is now looking at the legal issues because preventing unimmunized children form starting school could be seen as taking away their right to get education.


In my opinion the minister of health should not make vaccinations compulsory if children want to attend school. All children have the right to go to school and you are denying them this right by telling them to get a vaccination first. There could be parents that doubt the effect of vaccination and therefore decide not to get their children vaccinated, but there are also people that are against vaccination because of religious reasons. I would like to know what the governments’ solution would be for this issue. I do think that it is a good idea to get as much children vaccinated as possible to prevent many children from getting ill, but I would suggest to the government that they should invest in giving parents more information about the effects and benefits of vaccination. This will result in more vaccinations in general but does not affect the right to education.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jun/03/mmr-jab-compulsory-schoolchildren