As someone who is interested in public health and supports the advent of new developments and technologies in terms of health care, the current debate over vaccinations is something that I have been following. At this point, there is a controversy over whether or not the government should be able to mandate vaccinations. In this piece, I explore an updated policy and my thoughts regarding the debate. I address some of the main concerns opponents of vaccination mandates pose and provide reasons why the new policy is the most beneficial for the public health.

This topic required that I explain the arguments in a way that someone who doesn’t have the background knowledge of the spread of infectious disease and vaccinations in general could understand. Many times, controversies like this find their beginnings in misled assumptions. The public then takes these assumptions and forms opinions based on false information, ignoring evidence to the contrary. I will focus on a specific example regarding the most recent measles outbreak, originating in California, to prove that, while the current policy is largely effective, there is a need for improvement. My hope is that, even though it isn’t the most technical of topics, this will help me in future situations, in which I have to communicate my ideas in a similar way.