Introduction
Jennifer Wonnacott, with her son Henry, is among the California parents who supported a new law requiring schoolchildren in the state to be vaccinated. The law bans most immunization exemptions and is among the nation's strictest. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
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Two centuries of scientific evidence have proven conclusively that vaccines can prevent deadly diseases, but a small, vocal group of skeptics — aided by high-profile celebrities — continues to fight mandatory immunization, especially of babies and school-age children. More than 90 percent of Americans immunize their children against diseases such as measles, diphtheria and whooping cough, but the remainder either reject immunization or don't get the vaccinations on schedule. Public health officials say refusing to follow vaccine protocols allows diseases to spread rapidly, as happened in December 2014 when a measles outbreak began at Disneyland and spread to seven states. But opponents of mandatory vaccination contend that the escalating number of vaccines poses safety concerns and that requiring parents to immunize their children impinges on parental rights and personal freedom. The conflict extends beyond school-age children to include mandatory immunization against the influenza virus for health care workers and military requirements that recruits be vaccinated against yellow fever, anthrax and other dangers.
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