When the process was more dangerous and successful vaccination typically required a month-long convalescence, MW General George Washington required smallpox vaccination as a requirement for service in the Continental Army. He recognized that disease might lose the war faster than combat ever could. Balancing the rights of individuals wit…
When the process was more dangerous and successful vaccination typically required a month-long convalescence, MW General George Washington required smallpox vaccination as a requirement for service in the Continental Army. He recognized that disease might lose the war faster than combat ever could. Balancing the rights of individuals with the rights of the community has always been a source of tension. I respect another's right to choose not to vaccinate, but I also respect the right of the community to protect itself from the consequences of individual choices.
We wear seat belts, we don't smoke indoors or within 25 feet of a door or window, we stop at red lights, we drive on the right side of the road, we don't use cell phones while we drive, bartenders don't serve us if we've had too much, we don't let our kids drive before they're 16 regardless of their skill level, public health officials shut restaurants down that don't comply with basic sanitation practices ... And don't forget that pesky one-life-jacket-for-everybody-on-the-boat rule. I could go on. But who wants to live in a society where personal freedom stands in the way of these measures?
As an avid sailor, I favor having life vests on board (and having man overboard recovery training). Life vests (and training) don't eliminate the possibility of accidental drowning, but they do contribute to the reduction and mitigation of the related risk. In my mind, managing and avoiding unreasonable risk is not synonymous with living in fear.
In his role as Baretta, Robert Blake said "Scared is good, because scared is careful and careful is smart." I'm not suggesting we take life lessons from Robert Blake, but that line in his script stuck with me.
When the process was more dangerous and successful vaccination typically required a month-long convalescence, MW General George Washington required smallpox vaccination as a requirement for service in the Continental Army. He recognized that disease might lose the war faster than combat ever could. Balancing the rights of individuals with the rights of the community has always been a source of tension. I respect another's right to choose not to vaccinate, but I also respect the right of the community to protect itself from the consequences of individual choices.
We wear seat belts, we don't smoke indoors or within 25 feet of a door or window, we stop at red lights, we drive on the right side of the road, we don't use cell phones while we drive, bartenders don't serve us if we've had too much, we don't let our kids drive before they're 16 regardless of their skill level, public health officials shut restaurants down that don't comply with basic sanitation practices ... And don't forget that pesky one-life-jacket-for-everybody-on-the-boat rule. I could go on. But who wants to live in a society where personal freedom stands in the way of these measures?
As an avid sailor, I favor having life vests on board (and having man overboard recovery training). Life vests (and training) don't eliminate the possibility of accidental drowning, but they do contribute to the reduction and mitigation of the related risk. In my mind, managing and avoiding unreasonable risk is not synonymous with living in fear.
In his role as Baretta, Robert Blake said "Scared is good, because scared is careful and careful is smart." I'm not suggesting we take life lessons from Robert Blake, but that line in his script stuck with me.