Making vaccines mandatory is a bad idea. Obviously it's probably one of the most intrusive acts ever. What can be more intrusive than being required to get a needle in your arm, even against your will?
And second, who do you try to motivate with this? People who are afraid of the vaccine, will rush to doctors to get an exemption or fuel a black market for avoidance strategies. Those who oppose this for political reasons will consider it proof for their nightmares.
So what's the goal?
@sheogorath I have been talking to anti-vaxxers. It's not lack of information. It's not lack of opportunity. I am now also in the camp "mandatory vaccine" - not in general, just in this specific case after a lot of talking and thinking. This will not end otherwise. We would be mostly in this same situation next year as well.
@clacke It's totally a messaging thing. These are people who have no problem with their kids getting necessary vaccination after birth, etc.
The trouble is bringing mandatory vaccination into the current political milieu. There's no easy answers.
@dajbelshaw @clacke @sheogorath @claudius It absolutely is messaging.
Anti-vaxxers are ignoring a century of research (give or take a few decades, depending on your point of view) is.
We understand infectious diseases and how to mitigate against them. We understand the effectiveness of vaccination. There is zero reasonable doubt here.
Choosing to ignore this at the expense of lives, even when there is a grain of truth to your objection, is antisocial by definition.
That's the message.
@jens Agreed, and there's often no consistency with their position - especially right-wing Americans.
Many vaccine-hesitant people probably pay taxes and drive while carrying a driver's license and having car insurance.