Topics Ethics

Question An acquaintance believes that mandatory vaccination laws are "immoral." Her basic argument, as best I understand it, is that even if vaccines benefit almost everyone, there IS a risk -- however small -- that someone may be injured or even killed by a vaccine. Therefore, to force someone to get a shot that might possibly be hurtful is immoral. Somehow she equates mandatory vaccination to slavery -- something being imposed on people against their will. I don't think mandatory vaccination laws are immoral in the least. Her argument seems pretty wrong to me. Is it?

Accepted:
February 9, 2015

Comments

If your acquaintance argues that mandatory vaccination is immoral because it exposes people, against their will, to the risk of injury or death, you might ask her if she thinks a mandatory seat belt law is also immoral, because on rare occasions seat belts cause injury or even death.

Surely it matters how likely it is that people will be harmed by obeying the vaccination law or the seat belt law, compared to the likelihood that they'll be harmed by not getting vaccinated or not wearing a seat belt. In the case of seat belts, I take it that the latter risk is much higher. I presume the same holds for vaccination.

There's another factor to consider: mandatory vaccination isn't just paternalistic intervention for the sake of those getting vaccinated. It also protects others from infection, including others who can't take the vaccine because they are (known to be) allergic to one of its ingredients. So even someone opposed in principle to paternalistic laws needs another argument against mandatory vaccination.