Abstract
Vaccination is a public health measure that is routinely performed to reduce the risk of contracting a particular infectious disease. Taking advantage of the body’s immune system, vaccination can confer immunity against disease-causing pathogens. Though vaccination generally is not able to yield absolute immunity, the procedure has nonetheless improved public health and reduced infectious disease mortality globally, saving millions of lives each year [1]. If a high enough proportion of a population obtains immunity to a particular pathogen such that the spread of the associated disease has slowed and members of the population without immunity are also protected, then herd immunity has been achieved. Consequently, there have been a number of debates about using policymaking tools to achieve this high population vaccination rate, including policies of mandatory vaccination. Here, we discuss the scientific background of vaccination, present frameworks for understanding the arguments for and against mandatory vaccination policies, and highlight data and a case study in support of these arguments within the context of the United States. We hope to better inform the policymaking community of the factors that must be weighed when considering a mandatory vaccination policy.
Highlights
Vaccine mandates should be crafted carefully to ensure that exemptions are given when necessary, that they do not exacerbate societal inequities, and that they do not provoke societal backlash
Some argue that vaccine mandates should be used to increase vaccination rates, as the lives saved and the public health benefits outweigh the loss of freedom for people to make independent decisions about vaccination [20]
Article vaccine messaging to ease concern about side effects may occasionally have counterintuitive consequences; in a study, researchers showed that only 45% of parents who received information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that there is no evidence of a link between the MMR vaccine and autism had intent to vaccinate future children while 70% of a control group of parents who did not receive this information would vaccinate future children [42], illustrating the delicate balance that must be struck in crafting vaccine messaging
Summary
The authors declare no conflict of interest. Infectious diseases are caused by pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites that invade the human body. The pathogen cannot efficiently spread between individuals as many are already immune, slowing the rate of infection and protecting those who do not have immunity (Fig. 3B). In developing pandemic planning scenarios, the CDC estimates for the R0 value of COVID-19 range from 2.0 to 4.0, corresponding to herd immunity thresholds of 50% to 75% of the population [11]. The threshold proportion of the population that must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity may vary as individuals may become immune to a pathogen by natural exposure rather than through vaccination. Vaccine-induced GBS became a concern during the 1976 swine flu vaccination program in the U.S as the vaccine appeared to increase the risk of developing GBS
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
