A New Era for Parents’ Freedom Florida school vaccine mandate repeal
Florida’s choice to do away with school vaccine requirements has put back on the table one of the most controversial issues in the U.S. that is which should the government determine what goes into children’s bodies or if that is left up to parents. Florida school vaccine mandate repeal supporters of the change report that the state is standing up for choice in health care, medical autonomy, and parent’s rights. Also in this they see a break from the one size fits all health care policies which have run the public health field for decades.
Opponents report that we are seeing return of diseases we had mostly defeated. As for the large number of Floridians, they see the greater issue in the progressive trend of government overreach in health issues. The choice in Florida is put out as pro-freedom rather than anti science which is a very strong message in a country that has a large base of authority skeptics.
Parental Rights Take Center Stage
Parents know best what is good for their kids. In regard to school vaccine mandates critics say that parents step aside as bureaucrats and school boards take the reigns. For families which value in making personal health choices mandates are a step too far.
Florida’s leaders have put forth that which parents’ instincts tell them that it is parents not the government agencies which should determine what they see as the pro and cons of vaccination. Although the majority of parents may still opt to vaccinate their children, what we see now is a shift away from compulsory action. What is at the heart of this is the principle of choice which is very appealing to families that feel left out by what they see as very black and white public health policies.
This is a change from what was put forth in the past which saw health care as a collective responsibility to an very personal model of health care. In that sense Florida’s decision is a shift in thought as well as in practice.
Redefining what schools do in public health
For what is in some cases a long time now schools have served as public health outposts which included that of making sure that students got their vaccines in before the school year started. Florida’s change to the law which has removed this practice is a break from that model which puts the responsibility back on the families. Critics put forth that this is a step which will break down herd immunity, but supporters which include parents and some in the education field say this is a redefinition of what the role of the school should be. Schools are to focus on education not health care issues which they should leave to the doctors.
Parents should be removed from the role of health care decision makers which in turn will remove barriers to their enrolling their children in school. Education is a right which health care policy has no business in. This rethinking of what we have accepted as normal in our educational systems brings in a new perspective which does away with health care issues as a pre requisite to a child’s academic success.
Whether which states will adopt or reject this model will in turn shape the issue of public health care vs education. (The Washington Post, The Guardian).
The Freedom vs. Safety Dilemm
How far do we go in the name of freedom when safety is at risk? Vaccines have in the past been made mandatory for the purpose of protecting the community which is beyond the individual. But Florida has turned that around to say that we are intruding on basic freedoms by requiring that which is for safety.
Supporters bring up the fact that all medical procedures have some degree of risk and that which parents choose to do for their own kids should be up to them. To them the mandate is the government’s way of deciding what is an acceptable risk for your family which they think is going too far.
Opponents put forth that freedom which comes without responsibility brings out dangerous results in which we see play out in communities which have vulnerable children. But Floridians that are putting their weight behind this new direction see principle of liberty to be of greater import than the risks. It is a chance they are willing to take but they frame it as a stand for what is moral and for autonomy. (American Medical Association, People.com).
A Mixed Future For the United States
Florida’s action will set off a chain reaction in other states. Some may follow in the wake of Florida’s lead which is to lift their own mandates in the name of freedom. At the same time others may go in the opposite direction and reinforce school vaccination requirements which they feel are necessary to prevent outbreaks. We may see a broken national policy picture as a result which sees what medical measures a child is put through vary by zip code.
This mixed bag approach is putting a kink in everything from family move decisions to public health policy. Some states with more strict rules are becoming refuges for protection, while states with more loose regulations are putting forward that they are havens for medical freedom. The divide is also increasing political polarization which is turning vaccines into yet another red and blue issue.
For better or for worse Florida has put into play a future in which public health policy is not state wide and uniform, but very much a product of local culture and politics.
Florida’s Choice: Bold Chance or Risky Bet?
Should the state put the greater good of all before the freedom of the few? Proponents see this as a much needed step which puts power back in the hands of parents and which pushes back against government overreach. Critics present that is a step which will roll back decades of progress in controlling preventable diseases.
Both sides agree on one point: The bar is high. In that regard Florida has put its support behind autonomy which in turn puts at risk public health issues down the line. How that plays out will depend we will see in the coming years in our schools, in our communities, and in our hospitals.
Presently Florida has put out there that health care freedom is a higher priority than mandates. Also in the process it has sparked a national discussion which shows no end in sight.
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