Measles vaccination pros and cons arguments

Measles vaccination: pros and cons, greens versus doctors

08/07/2013

Since the beginning of the year, the number of measles diseases in Germany has increased. Federal Health Minister Bahr had then brought a possible vaccination obligation into conversation and expressed in the Bild newspaper: „It is irresponsible when parents do not have their children vaccinated.” A contrasted in the German Medical Journal pros and cons to a measles vaccination:

Per vaccination
For a compulsory vaccination, the president of the Professional Association of Children and Youth Physicians (BVKJ), Wolfram Hartmann, speaks to the Deutsches Ärzteblatt.

Legal basis
Wolfram Hartmann draws a comparison to the smallpox vaccination, which existed in Germany until 1976. Thanks to the vaccine, smallpox is meanwhile eradicated worldwide. The Infection Protection Act sees in now § 20, para. 6 prescribes a possible mandatory vaccination. It states that the Federal Ministry of Health is authorized, „order by decree of law with the consent of the Bundesrat that threatened sections of the population should take part in vaccinations or other specific prophylactic measures in the event of a transmissible disease with clinically severe clinical manifestations and its epidemic spread“. It further states that the fundamental right of physical integrity „be limited in this respect“ can.

Worldwide eradication of measles
In measles, it can often come only years after a disease to some serious consequences. An effective treatment of the virus infection is not possible. Worldwide, the prophylaxis applies by means of a well-tolerated live vaccine as a scientific standard. The World Health Organization (WHO) aims to eradicate measles around the world and to achieve that goal by vaccinating at least 95 percent of the population in order to achieve herd protection.

State duty of care
Hartmann said: „All appeals to the parents to protect their children from this disease with recurring fatal consequences by a timely and complete vaccination, have not been sufficiently successful.“ And therefore the professional association of the pediatricians (BVKJ) demands the „Proof of a complete vaccination before admitting a child to a state-funded care facility to protect those children from infection that can not be vaccinated for medical reasons.“ If parents did not do anything to protect their children from dangerous illnesses, there would be a state duty of care (Article 24 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child). That this was a successful method would have been shown by other countries. The American double continent is considered almost free of measles.

Contra vaccination
Compared to the Deutsches Ärzteblatt Birgitt Bender, health policy spokeswoman for the parliamentary group of Alliance 90 / The Greens, spoke out against vaccination.

Self-determination has priority
The politician is of the opinion that, for good reasons, there is no compulsory vaccination in Germany, not even in infectious diseases with some serious cases. According to Bender, the right to self-determination has priority, because a vaccination is always and first and foremost a personal risk-benefit assessment. In this country, the right of self-determination is primarily determined by Art. 2 para. 1 i.V.m. Article 1 (1) of the Basic Law. In this, every human being has the right to „free development of his personality“ guaranteed, „as far as he does not violate the rights of others and does not violate the constitutional order or the moral law“ In addition, vaccination would be too late for the current case.

Vaccination rates increased enormously
The Green spokeswoman stated: „The vaccination rates (two-time vaccination) have risen from 19 to at least 92 percent of the children to be enrolled between 2000 and 2010. A factual explanation of the individual and epidemiological benefits of a vaccine (without neglecting the possible side effects) will therefore lead to a further increase in vaccination readiness - this should speak a certain political serenity the word.“ This could contribute, if a vaccination consultation with the family doctor or the family doctor of the trust would be open-ended. She also points to the weakening of the Public Health Service, which mainly affects children, who are also poorer educators.

Hysteria and helplessness
Demands for a compulsory vaccination or even an exclusion of unvaccinated children from school or kindergarten would cause mistrust and a declining willingness to vaccinate. Mrs. Bender also criticized: „And even if a liberal federal health minister brings such measures into play, that's a remarkable expression of hysteria and helplessness.“ The vaccine decisions of parents should be respected, however they turn out. It is still unclear what effects, in addition to the possible acute side effects, vaccinations could in the long term on the organism's own immune regulation. (Ad)

Picture: Tony Hegewald