Comment on vaccines and the public good


To misquote Obi-Wan Kenobi: "people must do what they think is right". And as long as governments (and others) don’t force people’s behavior then they will.

However, because both health and disease are spreading conditions some will want the state to forcibly intervene to change people’s behavior to promote health among the population. This is the dilemma we face. Once again it’s a classic case of individual freedom versus perceived public good brought about by government intervention and sometimes, the use of force.

But until force is used, may I suggest we respect each other’s decisions about vaccination, whether we agree or not, for, after all, even if we think others are poorly informed they are only doing what they believe is right. And we can ask for no more.

Originally posted as a comment here.