Flu vaccines should never be mandatory for all US citizens, as this would encroach on

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1 Flu vaccines should never be mandatory for all US citizens, as this would encroach on individual freedoms, and may pose serious health risks for some individuals. The freedom of choice should be maintained as to whether an adult of sound mind and body, or a parent of a child decides how they or their children should be medically treated. If a person believes for any reason (religious or otherwise) the treatment, in this case the flu vaccine, is too risky or dangerous, they should never be forced to take it. Additionally, flu shots should not be mandatory, because a person should have a right to decide what is going in their own body. There have been some known risks associated with a flu shot, and some people get sick from the shot. Because the shot is a body intrusion, the person, not the government, should be the one to decide whether the shot is worth the risk. This would be one less freedom the government would be taking away from us. The closest the Department of Health and Human Services should come to pushing the flu vaccine on individuals, is highly recommended, or encouraging individuals to receive it, if they firmly believe everyone should. Otherwise, the onus should always be on the individual, or perhaps even between the individual and his or her primary care physician. If flu vaccines were to be made mandatory, we would be well on our way to a less free society. Jeffrey Singer, a medical doctor states, A free society demands adherence to the non aggression principle. No person should initiate force against another, and should only use force in retaliation or self defense. Forcibly injecting substances attenuated microbes or otherwise into someone else's body cannot be justified as an act of self defense, because there is no way to determine with certainty that the person will ever be responsible for disease transmission (Singer, 2014). Presently, we are still living in a society that respects our freedom

2 to choose, when it comes to medical matters. Most states coax, but don't coerce, vaccination of children in the public school system. Two of the 50 states, Mississippi and West Virginia, are indeed coercive. But the remaining 48 allow parents to opt out for religious reasons, and 19 allow for some kind of philosophical objection. Some states require parents to read about the risks of opting out before exempting their children. Some require them to acknowledge in writing that, in the event of a major school outbreak of a contagious disease for which their child has not received immunization, he or she will be held out of school until the outbreak clears. (Singer, 2014). According to a short blurb on procon.org, Dr. Ron Paul stated the following, "intimately personal medical decisions should not be made by government Freedom over one s physical person is the most basic freedom of all, and people in a free society should be sovereign over their own bodies. When we give government the power to make medical decisions for us, we in essence accept that the state owns our bodies." (as cited in Paul, 2002). As for health risks and concerns, the jury is still out on most vaccines. Although we are specifically addressing the flu vaccine, there should still be some cause for concern among individuals. Some physicians believe thimerosal, an organic mercury compound found in trace amounts in one flu vaccine for children and other vaccines for adults, is linked to autism (Sears, 2014). The flu vaccine should not be exempt from scrutiny. Sandy Reider (M.D.) has this to say regarding the general safety of vaccines: Current immunization policy relies on the oft repeated assertion that vaccines are safe and effective. Yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Institute of Medicine, and even the American Academy of Pediatrics have acknowledged that serious reactions, including seizures, progressive encephalopathy, and death, can and do occur. The federal vaccine injury

3 court, which was established at the same time that vaccine manufacturers were exempted from liability, has to date paid $2.6 billion dollars in compensation for vaccine injuries. And there is ample reason to believe that the incidence of vaccine injury is strongly underreported. Given the sheer volume of vaccine promotion and propaganda, coupled with the cozy relationship between government, industry, and media, there are sufficient grounds for a healthy skepticism. (Reider, 2014). Reider also mentions that the choices of individual parents should be respected and preserved, as they have become the last line of defense (Reider, 2015). Other professionals believe that certain vaccines in general should be mandatory if that is what the state decides. It is safe to assume that various influenza vaccines would be included in these beliefs. According to one article for mandatory vaccines, In terms of net human freedom, the trade off is clear: In exchange for punishment free government requirements that contain opt out loopholes, humans have freed themselves from hundreds of millions of infections from diseases that maimed and often killed people in recent memory. People who refuse vaccination are asserting that they have a right to "swing" their microbes at other people. That is wrong. (Bailey, 2014). According to another medical professional, Dr. Marian Michaels, "There are just no two ways around it, the science is on the side of immunization. We don't have a choice of whether or not we put a seatbelt on. And I think we're at the point where we need to say you have to vaccinate your child. In an ideal world you would not have to make a law." (Michaels, 2015). Dr. Michaels seems to believe that it is inevitable that laws will need to be made to mandate vaccines. While arguments for mandatory vaccinations may present logical reasoning and factual evidence, the original issue still remains; another sacrifice of individual freedom would be required.

4 There have been studies that have proven the flu vaccine does not even work. So, why bother? In 2011, there were studies conducted by The Cochran Collaboration the did not receive any media attention from mainstream media (Louis, 2013). The Cochran study shoots down the "herd immunity" fairy tale and reminds readers of how minor influenza usually is without complications from other factors. They did report that over 1.5 per million flu shot recipients came down with Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS). GBS cripples for life if you recover from the initial, intense period of seizures after the vaccination. The Cochran study used VAERS (vaccine adverse event reporting system), to determine the GBS incident rate. VAERS is so cumbersome and full of roadblocks that only an estimated five percent or fewer of all adverse events even get reported (Louis, 2013). Here s an alternative. Why not foster more natural ways to prevent influenza viruses? Better efforts should be made to promote and encourage society, communities, and individuals to seek out health and wellness through natural methods. Most of us know by now that maintaining a natural, healthy lifestyle will potentially keep us around much longer. Adequate whole food nutrition, exercise, and rest are the key pillars of such as lifestyle. Additionally, controlled studies have proven this to be true. (Louis, 2013). If it came to pass that the flu vaccine became mandatory, we are not only facing the loss of a personal freedom, but we are also facing being subjected to health risks which would taken without a person s consent. An individual should have the right to choose any type of medical procedure, prescription, or treatment that may be administered upon them. Perhaps the only exception should be in the case of emergencies, wherein a person may not be capable of making

5 such decisions. If these rights are taken away, what will be the next freedom on the chopping block?

6 References Welch, M., Bailey, R., Singer, J., & S. R. (2014, April). Should Vaccines Be Mandatory. Retrieved from vaccines be mandatory ProCon.org. (2016, April 4). Vaccines ProCon.org. Retrieved from Paul, R., Dr. (2011, October 19). Government Vaccines Bad Policy, Bad Medicine. Retrieved from h ttp:// paul mdgovernment vaccines bad policy bad medicine/ R. S., Dr. (2014, June 11). New Study Shows Possible Link between Environmental Mercury and Autism What about Vaccine Mercury? Retrieved from vaccines be mandatory new california law sparks debate t Louis, P. (2013, September 16). Avoid vaccines and use these top four natural remedies for flu prevention instead. Retrieved from l