Anti Vaccination In The 19th Century

Medicine and its practice by means of systematic process in the early 19th century up to was still a foreign and unrefined field. Individuals who practice in this field are few in between and are open minded in learning new ways to improve medicine. In contrast, the general population at this time cling to their old ways, and harbor anti-state views that support the segregation between private (family) and public (state) lives that are at the heart of the anti-vaccination movements that exist in Europe and North America.
North American anti-vaccination movements cite their resistance to vaccination through two expansive and reciprocal trends that were prevalent during the time: The first was against the use of biological products for preventing and treating illness and second, the impediment of the state’s reach onto private spheres. Children were often utilized for anti-vaccination movements since they were mostly likely to acquire smallpox and were under the authority of their parents. This change in “ownership” was at the heart of anti-vaccination movement’s ideology when individuals authority in the private sphere was being threaten by the state. There were diverse anti-vaccination groups in the U.S. that range from religious, political, and the unusual subculture groups that have a stance against vaccination that conflicted their ideology. An example of a religious motive include the use of homeopathy (Swedenborgian Church) an alternative to medical practice, whilst the most prevalent political motives involves the limitation of government insights towards the implementation of policies that affect its citizens. Subcultures such as the physical culture that was part of the health movement in the U.S. also exhibited the disapproval use of vaccination since it was antithetical towards their views, disputing that individuals who are living a clean, natural life were not vulnerable to diseases. In Europe, particularly England anti-vaccination discourse came in the form of policy enforcement by the state. …show more content…
Anti-vaccination rhetoric were the response between the movement which composed mainly of workers and their express of disapproval for the extension of government jurisdiction on private life. Specialize units such as vaccination officers who enforced policies such Poor Law Guardians were able to prosecute and fine individuals such as parents who did not adhere to the legislation. Anti-vaccination movements voiced their outcry that vaccinations were impeding their personal rights as human beings and their parental rights towards their children that were important in a society in which they want to become a part of. Groups such as unions that were affected by the legislations were supportive of anti-vaccination movements due to their beliefs and the fact that many of their workers oppose the polices. Not surprisingly individuals, who oppose the legislation ignore their biological susceptibility to diseases in substitute for their fundamental rights that takes more precedent than the other. Conclusion Contagious diseases like …show more content…
In my opinion, vaccination is a very significant contribution in the medical field in which it was a vital role on combating smallpox. No doubt citizens should be have been vaccinated, however the introduction of vaccination policies came in a questionable time in which there was no epidemics of smallpox, which would had made it easier for public approval when its effects were shown. The ignorance of these groups who have misplaced their priorities in which a greater emphasis of “political right” that replaced “biological vulnerability’ of the human body have made for potential and damaging consequences in the