Journal of Infectious Diseases & Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

An impressive achievement of the Israeli public health services is the immunization coverage of over 90% of the country's population consequently, successfully protecting the people against the outbreak of epidemics as/or infectious diseases. However, despite the obvious indisputable advantages of the immunizing vaccinations we are now facing a growing number of adults, including parents who avoid vaccinating themselves and their children. Objections derive from ideological and religious reasons or concerns about the possible inherent dangers. It has been proved, both scientifically and statistically that the dangers involve with the number of persons who refuse vaccinations and the number of people consequently created by one disease or another could easily destroy the efforts to be rid of any epidemic. In many countries, every individual is legally obliged to be vaccinated. However, in Israel, there is no legal obligation to be vaccinated. Moreover, vaccinations, like any other medical treatment, require informed consent. It is therefore, imperative that a decisive solution to this situation should be found without a delay. Furthermore, where democratically one's principles are sacred and where one's autonomy over his body is also unquestionable, such a legal solution would be not only unacceptable but rather impossible to enforce. Therefore, under the following circumstances, it seems that some reasonable balance between the necessity to preserve public health and our democratic principles should apply and quickly.

Biography

Keren Grinberg is currently pursuing her PhD in the Department of Head of Nursing under Faculty of Social and Community Sciences at Ruppin Academic Center, Israel. Her research interest mainly focusses on Vaccines, Immunology & Infectious Diseases.