The background and pro and con arguments were written by ProCon.org staff based upon input from the following footnotes (directly referenced) and sources (used for general research and not directly referenced):
Footnotes:
CDC, "School Vaccination Requirements, Exemptions and Web Links," www.cdc.gov, July 21, 2011
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, "All Timelines Overview," www.chop.edu (accessed July 30, 2014)
University of Massachusetts Medical School, "History of MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School," www.library.umassmed.edu (accessed July 30, 2014)
Daniel A. Salmon, "Mandatory Immunization Laws and the Role of Medical, Religious and Philosophical Exemptions," www.vaccinesafety.edu, Oct. 2003
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, "Government Regulation," www.chop.edu, Jan. 27, 2014
James G. Hodge, Jr. and Lawrence O. Gostin, "School Vaccination Requirements: Historical, Social, and Legal Perspectives as of February 15, 2002: A State of the Art Assessment of Law and Policy," www.publichealthlaw.net, Feb. 15, 2002
Robert M. Wolfe, "Anti-Vaccination Activists, Past and Present," British Medical Journal, Aug. 24, 2002
"Opposed to Vaccination," New York Times, Feb. 17, 1882
Congressional Research Service, "Mandatory Vaccinations: Precedent and Current Laws," www.fas.org, Jan. 18, 2005
NobelPrize.org, "The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1901," www.nobelprize.org (accessed July 31, 2014)
Zucht v. King, United States Supreme Court, Nov. 13, 1922
College of Physicians of Philadelphia, "The History of Vaccines: Timelines, Diseases and Vaccines," www.historyofvaccines.org (accessed June 25, 2014)
CDC, "Reported Cases and Deaths from Vaccine Preventable Diseases, United States, 1950-2011," www.cdc.gov, Mar. 14, 2012
Stephen Engelberg, "Vaccine: Assessing Risks and Benefits," New York Times, Dec. 19, 1984
US Court of Federal Claims Office of Special Masters, "Vaccine Program Background," www.uscfc.uscourts.gov (accessed Dec. 11, 2009)
US Department of Health and Human Services, "National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program,” www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/index.html (accessed Aug. 4, 2014)
Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, "About the VAERS Program," www.vaers.hhs.gov (accessed Aug. 4, 2014)
Andrew Wakefield, SH Murch, A. Anthony, et al., "RETRACTED: Illeal-Lymphoid-Nodular Hyperplasia, Non-Specific Colitis, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder in Children," www.thelancet.com, Feb. 1998
CNN Wire Staff, "Retracted Autism Study an 'Elaborate Fraud,' British Journal Finds," www.cnn.com, Jan 5,
Simon H. Murch, Andrew Anthony, David H. Casson, et al., "Retraction of an Interpretation," www.thelancet.com, Mar. 6, 2004
Lancet Editors, "Retraction—Ileal-Lymphoid-Nodular Hyperplasia, Non-Specific Colitis, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder in Children," www.thelancet.com, Feb. 6, 2010
Fiona Goodlee, Jane Smith, and Harvey Marcovitch, "Wakefield's Article Linking MMR Vaccine and Autism Was Fraudulent," www.bmj.com, Jan. 6, 2011
Maria Cheng, "Britain Bans Doctor Who Linked Autism to Vaccine," Associated Press, May 24, 2010
US House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness, "Mercury in Medicine - Taking Unnecessary Risks," (259 KB) www.burton.house.gov, May 2003
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., "Deadly Immunity," www.drjaygordon.com, Feb. 24, 2005
Kathleen Stratton, Andrew Ford, Erin Rusch, and Ellen Wright Clayton, "Adverse Effects of Vaccines: Evidence and Causality," www.nap.edu, Aug. 25, 2011
Institute of Medicine (IOM), "Report Brief - Adverse Effects of Vaccines: Evidence and Causality," www.nap.edu, Aug. 25, 2011
V. Demicheli, A. Rivitti, M. G. Deblani, and C. Di Pietrantonj, "Using the Combined Vaccine for Protection of Children Against Measles, Mumps, and Rubella," www.summarires.cochrane.org, Feb. 15, 2012
John Hinton, "Nearly 750 Local Students Who Lack Required Whooping Cough Vaccination Face Suspension," www.journalnow.com, Sep. 23, 2013
WLWT, "No School Recommended for Unvaccinated Kids," www.wlwt.com, Apr. 16, 2014
Amanda Marcotte, "A Great Ruling for Public Health and a Big Blow to the Anti-Vaccination Movement," www.slate.com, June 25, 2014
Dan Childs, "No School for You! Unvaccinated Students Shut Out," www.abcnews.go.com, Sep. 16, 2011
Benjamin Mueller, "Judge Upholds Policy Barring Unvaccinated Students during Illnesses," www.nytimes.com, June 22, 2014
Sydney Spiesel, "I'm a Pediatrician. Should I Treat All Kids, or Just the Vaccinated Ones?," www.slate.com, Mar. 17, 2014
Arthur L. Caplan, David Hoke, Nicholas J. Diamond, and Viktoriya Karshemboyem, "Free to Choose but Liable for the Consequences: Should Non-Vaccinators Be Penalized for the Harm They Do?,”"www.academia.edu, Fall 2012
American Academy of Pediatrics, "Vaccine Safety: The Facts," www.aap.org, 2008
[email protected], "The Solution: Vaccines," www.shotatlife.org (accessed June 4, 2014)
Bahar Gholipour, "Vaccination Has Saved 732,000 Children's Lives Since 1994, Says Report," www.huffingtonpost.com, Apr. 25, 2014
Kelley King Heyworth, "Vaccines: The Reality behind the Debate," www.parents.com (accessed June 9, 2014)
FDA, "Thimerosal in Vaccines," www.fda.gov, Mar. 14, 2014
CDC, "Possible Side-Effects from Vaccines," www.cdc.gov, Feb. 4, 2014
Nancy Shute, "Report: Vaccines Are Safe, Hazards Few and Far Between," www.npr.org, Aug. 25, 2011
US Department of Health and Human Services, "Safety," www.vaccines.gov (accessed June 5, 2014)
Matthew Herper, "Dear Jenny McCarthy, Here's How Many Lives Could Be Saved Cheaply by Making Vaccines More Widely Available," www.forbes.com, Apr. 16, 2014
WHO, "Vaccine Position Papers," www.who.int (accessed June 5, 2014)
Public Health Agency of Canada, "Vaccine Safety: Frequently Asked Questions," www.phac-aspc.gc.ca, Apr. 28, 2014
Canadian Paediatric Society, "Vaccine Safety," www.caringforkids.cps.ca, Nov. 2013
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, "Top Reasons to Get Vaccinated," www.nfid.org (accessed June 5, 2014)
American Medical Association, "AMA Encourages Community-Clinical Partnerships to Increase Use of Preventative Health Services among Boomers," www.ama-assn.org, Nov. 19, 2009
American Academy of Family Physicians, "Confusion, Safety Concerns Contribute to Low Seasonal Flu Vaccine Coverage among Pregnant Women," www.aafp.org, Aug. 4, 2009
WHO, "What Are Some of the Myths – and Facts – about Vaccination?," www.who.int, Apr. 2013
US Department of Health and Human Services, "Community Immunity ('Herd Immunity')," www.vaccines.gov (accessed June 5, 2014)
Steven L. Weinreb, "For the Herd’s Sake, Vaccinate," www.nytimes.com, Dec. 27, 2011
David E. Sugerman, et al., "Measles Outbreak in a Highly Vaccinated Population, San Diego, 2008: Role of the Intentionally Undervaccinated," Pediatrics, Apr. 1, 2010
Mark Fishetti, "Too Many Children Go Unvaccinated," www.scientificamerican.com, May 14, 2013
Gardiner Harris, "5 Cases of Polio in Amish Group Raises New Fears," www.nytimes.com, Nov. 8, 2005
Steven F. Hirsch, "Protecting the 'Herd': Why Vaccinations Still Matter," www.washingtonparent.com, Aug. 2007
CDC, "Five Important Reasons to Vaccinate Your Child," www.cdc.gov, Apr. 8, 2011
Michael Smith, "How Long Should Children Stay out of School after H1N1 Flu?," www.kevinmd.com, Nov. 4, 2009
Polio Global Eradication Initiative, "Polio This Week as of 4 June 2014," www.polioeradication.org, June 4, 2014
CNN Staff, "Ohio Measles Outbreak Continues to Grow," www.cnn.com, June 5, 2014
CDC, "Measles," www.cdc.org, June 10, 2014
David Satcher, "Statement on Risk vs Benefit of Vaccinations by David Satcher, M.D., PH.D.," www.hhs.gov, Aug 3, 1999
Mark Wilson, "How Just 3 Vaccines Can Save Us $63 Billion [Infographic]," www.fastcodesign.com, June 14, 2012
Joseph M. Mercola, "Vaccines Have Serious Side Effects – The Institute of Medicine Says So!," www.mercola.com, Sep. 27, 2011
National Vaccine Information Center, "Autism," www.nvic.org (accessed June 11, 2014)
Robert W. Sears, "New Study Shows Possible Link between Environmental Mercury and Autism – What about Vaccine Mercury?," www.askdrsears.com (accessed June 11, 2014)
Robert W. Sears, "Vaccine FAQS: Aluminum Information from The Vaccine Book," www.askdrsears.com (accessed June 11, 2014)
VaxTruth, "Vaccine Ingredients – A Comprehensive Guide," www.vaxtruth.org, Aug. 15, 2011
Jospeph M. Mercola, "MSG: Is This Silent Killer Lurking in Your Kitchen Cabinets," www.mercola.com, Apr. 21, 2009
National Vaccine Information Center, "Barbara Speaks Out!," www.nvic.org (accessed June 11, 2014)
Ron Paul, "Government Vaccines—Bad Policy, Bad Medicine," www.vaccinationcouncil.org, Dec. 10, 2002
Cornell University Law School Legal Information Institute, "First Amendment," www.law.cornell.edu (accessed June 11, 2014)
Oyez, "Cantwell v. State of Connecticut," www.oyez.org (accessed June 11, 2014)
Mahesh Vidula, "Individual Rights vs. Public Health: The Vaccination Debate," www.mit.edu (accessed June 11, 2014)
Olivia K. Wenger, et al., "Underimmunization in Ohio's Amish: Parental Fears Are a Greater Obstacle Than Access to Care," www.pediatrics.aapublications.org, June 27, 2011
Fraternitas Rosae Crucis, "The Church of Illumination: Tenet on Vaccination and Immunization," www.soul.org, 2013
Universal Family Church, "FAQ," www.universalfamilychurch.org (accessed June 11, 2014)
Vatican, "Moral Reflections on Vaccines Prepared from Cells Derived from Aborted Human Foetuses," www.cogforlife.org, June 9, 2005
Mayo Clinic, "Childhood Vaccines: Tough Questions, Straight Answers," www.mayoclinic.org, May 8, 2013
Kurt Perkins, "Dr. Kurt: Why I Will Never Choose to Vaccinate My Own Son and Any Future Kids My Wife and I Have," www.healthimpactnews.com, June 12, 2014
A Shot of Truth, "Congressman Bill Posey Speaks on the Need for Openness and Transparency within the CDC on Issues of Vaccine Safety," www.ashotoftruth.org, Apr. 8, 2014
Institutes of Medicine, "Julie Gerberding," www.iom.edu (accessed Aug. 7, 2014)
Gregory Poland, "Vaccines against Lyme Disease: What Happened and What Lessons Can We Learn?," www.cid.oxfordjournals.org, Feb. 1, 2011
L. Simonsen, C. Viboud, A. Elixhauser, R.J.Taylor, and A.Z. Kapikian, "More on Rotashield and Intussusception: The Role of Age at the Time of Vaccination," Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2005
CDC, "Keeping the U.S. Polio-Free," www.cdc.gov, Mar. 19, 2014
Sanjay Gupta, "Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Vaccines Are a Matter of Fact," www.edition.cnn.com, Feb. 5, 2015
Bharathi S. Gadad, "Administration of Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines to Infant Rhesus Macaques Does Not Result in Autism-Like Behavior," www.pnas.org, Oct. 6, 2015
Melissa Healy, "Old-School and Current Vaccines Have No Link to Autism (again), Study Says," www.latimes.com, Sep. 28, 2015
Maggie Fox, "Measles Has Been Eliminated in the Americas, WHO Says," nbcnews.com, Sep. 27, 2016
Michelle Goldstein, "10 Reasons Not to Vaccinate," vactruth.com, Dec. 12, 2014
Pan American Health Organization, "Americas Region Declared the World's First to Eliminate Rubella," paho.org, Apr. 29, 2015
History of Vaccines, "Disease Eradication," History of Vaccines website, Jan. 25, 2016
History of Vaccines, "History of Polio (Poliomyelitis)," History of Vaccines website, Mar. 10, 2016
CDC, "Rubella: Make Sure Your Child Gets Vaccinated," www.cdc.gov, Jan. 7, 2013
CDC, "Ten Great Public Health Achievements –States, 1900-1999," www.cdc.gov, Apr. 2, 1999
CDC, "Vaccination Coverage among Children in Kindergarten – United States, 2012-2013 School Year," Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, www.cdc.gov, Aug. 2, 2013
Kathryn M. Edwards, "State Mandates and Childhood Immunization," Journal of the American Medical Association, Dec. 27, 2000
Lauren Feder, "H1N1 Flu: Will History Repeat Itself?," www.drfeder.com (accessed Dec. 15, 2009)
Barbra Loe Fisher, "Politics, Profits & Pandemic Fear Mongering," www.nvic.org, May 1, 2009
Daniel R. Feikin, et al., "Individual and Community Risks of Measles and Pertussis Associated with Personal Exemptions to Immunization," Journal of the American Medical Association, Dec. 27, 2000
Generation Rescue, "Questions before You Vaccinate," www.generationrescue.org(accessed July 30, 2014)
Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, "Immunization Safety Review: Thimerosal - Containing Vaccines and Neurodevelopmental Disorders," www.nap.edu, 2001
Minnesota Department of Health, "Chickenpox (Varicella) and School-Age Children: What Parents Need to Know," www.health.state.mn.us (accessed June 5, 2014)
NakedScientists.com, "Are Apple Cores Poisonous?," www.thenakedscientists.com, Sep. 26, 2010
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, "Autism & Vaccines: A New Look at an Old Story," www.nvic.org (accessed July 14, 2014)
National Institutes of Health National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, "How Vaccines Work," www.niaid.nih.gov, Apr. 19, 2011
National Vaccine Information Center, "About National Vaccine Information Center," www.nvic.org (accessed July 30, 2014)
Gary Null, "Vaccines: A Second Opinion," www.garynull.com (accessed Jan. 14, 2010)
Organic Consumers Association, "The Great Thimerosal Cover-Up: Mercury, Vaccines, Autism and Your Child's Health," www.organicconsumers.org (accessed Dec. 14, 2009)
Paul A. Offit, "Inoculated against Facts," New York Times, Mar. 31, 2008
Paul Offit, "Why Are Pharmaceutical Companies Gradually Abandoning Vaccines?," Health Affairs, May 2005
Paul Douglas Parkman, "We Can't Forget the Value of Vaccines," FDA Consumer, July-Aug. 2002
Phil Plait, "Should Public School Students Get Mandatory Vaccines?," www.slate.com, Sep. 24, 2013
Paul Stehr-Green, et al., "Autism and Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines: Lack of Consistent Evidence for an Association," American Journal of Preventative Medicine, Aug. 2003
ThinkTwice Global Vaccine Institute, "About Us," www.thinktwice.com/aboutus.htm (accessed July 30, 2014)
Vaccinate Your Baby, "Why Vaccinate?," www.vaccinateyourbaby.org (accessed Dec. 15, 2009)
Vermont Department of Health, "Facts about Measles," www.healthvermont.gov (accessed June 5, 2014)
WHO, "Smallpox," www.who.int (accessed June 5, 2014)
