As Measles Count Grows, Mandatory Vaccinations Become Part Of Political Debate
N.J. Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., both possible GOP candidates for president in 2016, jumped into the emotional discussion about whether vaccines should be mandatory.
The Washington Post:
Vaccination Debate Flares In GOP Presidential Race, Alarming Medical Experts
Medical experts reacted with alarm Monday as two top contenders for the Republican presidential nomination appeared to question whether child vaccinations should be mandatory — injecting politics into an emotional issue that has taken on new resonance with a recent outbreak of measles in the United States. First, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, while visiting a vaccine laboratory here, called for “some measure of choice” on whether shots guarding against measles and other diseases should be required for children. Then, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), an ophthalmologist who is also readying a 2016 campaign, said in two U.S. television interviews that he thinks most vaccines should be voluntary, citing “many tragic cases of walking, talking, normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines.” (Rucker and Helderman, 2/2)
The New York Times:
Measles Proves Delicate Issue To G.O.P. Field
The politics of medicine, morality and free will have collided in an emotional debate over vaccines and the government’s place in requiring them, posing a challenge for Republicans who find themselves in the familiar but uncomfortable position of reconciling modern science with the skepticism of their core conservative voters. As the latest measles outbreak raises alarm, and parents who have decided not to vaccinate their children face growing pressure to do so, the national debate is forcing the Republican Party’s 2016 presidential hopefuls to confront questions about whether it is in the public’s interest to allow parents to decide for themselves. (Peters and Perez-Pena, 2/2)
NPR:
Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Rand Paul Jump Into Vaccine Debate
As the country deals with what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is calling a record number of measles cases, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a rumored 2016 presidential contender, has jumped into the national debate on vaccines. (Peralta, 2/2)
Politico:
In 2008, Barack Obama Called Science On Vaccines ‘Inconclusive’
President Barack Obama called the science behind vaccinations “indisputable” on Monday, but he was not always such a staunch believer in getting children vaccinated. In 2008, as a senator and presidential candidate, Obama discussed the possible link between vaccines and autism. (Breitman, 2/2)
Politico:
Vaccination Foes On The Defensive
The Disneyland measles outbreak has forced a reckoning on the politics of vaccination: Likely GOP presidential candidates are stumbling over the issue, President Barack Obama has forcefully weighed in, and several states are pushing to make it harder to exempt children from vaccinations. On Monday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had to backpedal on the question of parental choice in vaccinations. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul drew fire for connecting vaccines to mental disorders. (Villacorta and Shah, 2/2)
Kaiser Health News:
To Protect His Son, A Father Asks School To Bar Unvaccinated Children
Carl Krawitt has watched his son, Rhett, now 6, fight leukemia for the past 4 and a half years. For more than three of those years, Rhett has undergone round after round of chemotherapy. Last year he finished chemotherapy, and doctors say he is in remission. Now, there’s a new threat: measles. Rhett cannot be vaccinated, because his immune system is still rebuilding. It may be months more before his body is healthy enough to get all his immunizations. Until then, he depends on everyone around him for protection — what’s known as herd immunity. (Aliferis, 2/3)
Los Angeles Times:
Measles Outbreak Q&A: Some Schools Breaking Law On Vaccinations
Why are vaccine rates so low at some California schools? One reason is that some parents have exempted their kindergartners from vaccinations because they don't believe in them. Another reason: parents who enroll their child on a "conditional" basis, promising that they'll catch up on the state-required vaccines at some point. Some schools never actually follow up to ensure kindergartners get the vaccinations required by the state, according to the California Department of Public Health. (Lin, 2/2)
