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Anti-vaxxers Are Dangerous. Make Them Face Isolation, Fines, Arrests.

| Apr. 30, 2019

I love my children. And, if I'm in a gracious mood, I believe that parents who do not vaccinate their children love theirs as much as I love mine.

But, I am quite confident in this fact: I love their children much more than they love mine. These anti-vaxxer parents — call them free-riders or even pro-plague — are putting my children and our communities at risk to cater to their erroneous belief that vaccinations would harm their children rather than contribute to the elimination of childhood diseases.

It is time we stop viewing the anti-vax movement and its adherents' responsibility for the measles outbreak as a public health problem. With more than 700 reported cases confirmed in 22 states, it is now a public safety crisis, and the tools of public safety — arrests, fines, isolation — are absolutely necessary....

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For Academic Citation:

Kayyem, Juliette."Anti-vaxxers Are Dangerous. Make Them Face Isolation, Fines, Arrests." The Washington Post, April 30, 2019.

The Author

Juliette Kayyem Headshot

Juliette Kayyem

  • Member of the Board, Belfer Center
  • Belfer Senior Lecturer in International Security, Harvard Kennedy School
  • Faculty Director, Homeland Security Project
  • Faculty Affiliate, Middle East Initiative
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