Prompt Cast
The Measles Outbreak and the History of Vaccination Resistance in the US
TLDR The recent measles outbreak in the US has prompted New York City to declare a public health emergency and mandate vaccinations. This response draws on a Supreme Court case from 1905 that dealt with the tension between public health officials and those who resist vaccinations, highlighting the ongoing challenge of vaccination resistance in the country.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The podcast discusses the recent measles outbreak in the US and the reasons behind the spread, particularly among unvaccinated communities.
03:05
New York City has declared a public health emergency and mandated vaccinations for adults and children in response to a measles outbreak, drawing on a 1905 Supreme Court case that dealt with the tension between public health officials and those who resist vaccinations.
05:58
The government mandated vaccinations during a smallpox epidemic, but faced significant resistance from people who doubted the effectiveness of vaccines and saw it as a violation of their rights, resulting in forceful vaccination campaigns in immigrant and African American communities.
09:20
The federal court ruled that requiring certain races to be vaccinated without requiring the rest of the community was a violation of the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause, setting an important precedent for equal protection rights in public health.
13:34
The Supreme Court decided that it was constitutional for a state government to order individuals to get vaccinated, even if they didn't want to, in order to protect public health.
17:01
The Jacobson decision is still considered good law and has influenced the establishment of vaccination laws that include protections for people with health risks or strong objections to compulsory vaccination.
20:20
Anti-vaccination arguments today are not as robust as those in the early 20th century, but they still pose a challenge to scientific authority in a democracy.
Categories:
History
Society & Culture
