This has been on my local morning news channel for several weeks now, and you can google "measles outbreak 2019 NYC" to read the details if you feel it necessary, but the long and short of it is as follows.
The Orthodox Jewish community in areas of NYC are claiming a religious exemption, and religious discrimination, as it comes to the requirement to vaccinate your children against MMR. I saw a woman on the news this morning saying the it's between her and her creator, that god created perfect children, and vaccinating them is against her religion. Unfortunately, measles is now rising in that area, meaning that unvaccinated children are carrying it and communicating it (it is NOTORIOUSLY communicable) to others.
On the one hand, I respect their right to not vaccinate their children. Forcing them to do so does seem to be an infringement on their exercise of their religion. On the other hand, they are creating a public health menace, and if that's what they want to do, then they seem to me to be putting themselves into an 'apartheid' state: their children shouldn't be allowed in public schools, public parks, etc., because now you're imposing your own religious views / ignorance on others (by exposing others to this disease).
Which takes precedence in your mind? Protecting the larger community means segregating this population, at best, and mandating a medical treatment, at worst, for the good of a larger number of people. Deferring to religious freedom and saying that disallowing these children in public spaces like everyone else puts more kids in danger. It's an interesting thought exercise, but in the end, kids are getting sick that really don't need to.
