Same Topic

Mandatory Vaccination Student’s Name Institution Course Number and Name Instructor’s Name Date Mandatory Vaccination Thesis Statement: Vaccination should be mandatory in the United States because it is consistent with the Constitution and libertarianism and promotes the common good. Supporting Points 1. Mandatory vaccination is consistent with the provisions of the Constitution * America should make vaccination compulsory because challenges to mandatory vaccinations have been consistently rejected by the courts (Chemerinsky & Goodwin, 2016). * The religious freedom argument is invalid because the Court has determined that one cannot use the Free Exercise Clause to "challenge a neutral law of general applicability" (Chemerinsky & Goodwin, 2016, p. 609). * Mandatory vaccination is also consistent with the strict scrutiny principle (Chemerinsky & Goodwin, 2016). 2. Compulsory vaccination is supported by libertarianism * Refusing vaccination violates the clean-hands principle that libertarians endorse (Brennan, 2016). * Libertarians may be forced to accept vaccines because anti-vaxxers are wrongly causing undue harm to others (Brennan, 2016). 3. Mandatory vaccination promotes the common good and is thus ethical. * In times of deadly pandemics, mandatory vaccination can be integral in promoting public health interests (Dunne & Spain, 2023). * If the health threat is so great and the health interests of the community are strong, then it can be justifiable to reduce personal freedom to choose (Dunne & Spain, 2023). Relevant Opposing View: 1. Mandatory vaccination without religious exceptions is in violation of the First Amendment. * The basic liberty under the First Amendment should be taken seriously. It forms the foundation of the country's national identity (Davisson, 2021). Part 1: Annotated Bibliography Brennan, J. (2016). A libertarian case for mandatory vaccination. Journal of Medical Ethics. https://doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2016-103486 In this article, the author argues that a major political philosophy, that is, libertarianism, can support mandatory vaccination. It is the author's argument that vaccine refusal amounts to a violation of the 'clean hands principle' that is upheld by many libertarians. Libertarianism holds that each individual has a wide range of strong rights against interference in economic or personal decisions. As per the author, the clean hands principle forbids individuals from imposing unacceptable risks on others. Given that libertarianism upholds the principle, the political philosophy supports compulsory vaccination. In addition, the libertarian has to accept that sometimes it is acceptable to employ coercion among people to prevent harm. Chemerinsky, E., & Goodwin, M. (2016). Compulsory vaccination laws are constitutional. Northwestern University Law Review, 110(3). https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1237&context=nulr The authors utilize the provisions of the Constitution as well as court rulings to explain the constitutionality of mandatory vaccination laws. The authors explain how only medical reasons should prevent states from requiring mandatory for all children. As per the author, compulsory vaccination laws are not only desirable but consistent with the Constitution. People who refuse to vaccinate their children are exposing them to unnecessary risks that could have serious consequences. The authors show that court decisions at all levels have consistently agreed that compulsory vaccination laws are constitutional. The authors also demonstrate how objections to religious freedom have been rejected in courts. Finally, the authors demonstrate the consistency of mandatory vaccination laws with the strict scrutiny principle. Davisson, B. (2021). My Body, My Temple: The Constitutional Requirement for Religious Exemptions to a COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate. SLU Law Journal Online. https://scholarship.law.slu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1056&context=lawjournalonline In this article, the author examines the influence of Jacobson v. Massachusetts on mandatory vaccination and the changes in religious freedom law. T...