Vaccine Skepticism and the Ethical Dilemmas of Mandated Vaccination

Graphic by Sonali Patel

The recent turnover of administration, particularly the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, has reignited the already intense debate over vaccines. RFK Jr. is well known for his strong opposition to vaccines, having founded Children’s Health Defense, an organization that promotes vaccine skepticism and sells merchandise with slogans such as “Unvaxxed Unafraid” and “No Vax No Problem” [1]. His appointment as the nation’s top health official has brought renewed attention to the ethical concerns of vaccine mandates – an issue that has been contentious long before his confirmation. 

Vaccines were first developed in 1796 by Edward Jenner, yet rampant skepticism surrounding their safety persists more than two centuries later [2]. A 2021 conference at Stanford focusing on identifying the causes of vaccine hesitancy concluded that misinformation and mistrust in the medical community are at the core of this issue [3]. This reluctance to vaccinate poses a significant challenge to public health, since vaccines are most effective when a large portion of the population is immunized, thereby reducing disease transmission and decreasing the risk of viral mutations [4]. To ensure this outcome, the State of Massachusetts enacted the first vaccine mandate in 1855, requiring smallpox vaccination for children to attend school [5]. 

Ever since, vaccine mandates have remained a particularly tenuous subject. Supporters argue that they are necessary to protect public health and prevent disease outbreaks, while opponents claim that they infringe upon personal freedom and rights protected in the constitution [6]. Concerns include the lack of informed consent when vaccination is required, the questionable ethics of conducting clinical trials of vaccines in children, a particularly vulnerable population, and the gray areas of whether and when to permit religious exemptions [7]. While vaccine mandates certainly have the potential to decrease disease prevalence and improve public health, the ethical implications cannot be ignored. 

High-ranking officials in the United States government play a crucial role in shaping both health policy and public perception of vaccines. The balance between public health interests and individual rights will continue to be a focal point of debate going forward, and we must have broader discussions on medical ethics and government intervention in healthcare.

Reviewed by Radhika Subramani

References

[1] CHD Store. Children’s Health Defense. Retrieved February 25, 2025 from https://chdstore.org/Category

[2] A Brief History of Vaccination. (2025). World Health Organization. Retrieved February 25, 2025 from https://www.who.int/news-room/spotlight/history-of-vaccination/a-brief-history- of-vaccination#:~:text=Dr%20Edward%20Jenner%20created%20the,cowpox%20were%20immune%20to%20smallpox.&text=In%20May%201796%2C%20English%20physician,the%20hand%20of%20a%20milkmaid.

[3] Conger, K. (2021, September 2). How misinformation, medical mistrust fuel vaccine hesitancy. Stanford Medicine News Center. https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2021/09/ infodemic-covid-19.html

[4] Shachar, C. & Reiss, D.R. (2020, January). When Are Vaccine Mandates Appropriate? AMA Journal of Ethics. https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/when-are-vaccine- mandates-appropriate/2020-01

[5] History of vaccine requirements and vaccine research highlights. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved February 25, 2025 from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/history-disease- outbreaks-vaccine-timeline/requirements-research

[6] Mosvick, N. (2024, February 20). On this day, the Supreme Court rules on vaccines and public health. National Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/on-this-day-the- supreme-court-rules-on-vaccines-and-public-health

[7] Ethical Issues and Vaccines. History of Vaccines. Retrieved February 25, 2025 from https://historyofvaccines.org/vaccines-101/ethical-issues-and-vaccines#Source-3