"If we take away all of the herd immunity, then does that switch, does that teeter-totter switch in a different direction?"
"This is not a theoretical debate-it is a dangerous step backward. Vaccines have saved millions of lives and virtually eliminated devastating diseases like polio in the United States. There is no cure for polio. When vaccination rates fall, paralysis, lifelong disability, and death return. The science on this is settled."
"Moving away from routine immunizations, which include discussions between clinicians and patients, does not increase freedom-it increases suffering, and the weakening of recommendations will cost lives."
Removing or weakening herd immunity protections would reverse population-level safeguards and increase the risk of infectious disease resurgence. Lower vaccination rates would allow polio and other preventable diseases to re-emerge, causing paralysis, lifelong disability, and death. Shifting vaccination policy emphasis from population health to individual autonomy would increase suffering and reduce overall public health benefits. Federal vaccine advisory influence has diminished as many states decline to follow recent CDC recommendations; 27 states and Washington, DC, announced they will not follow current CDC guidance. The American Academy of Pediatrics released a 2026 vaccine schedule endorsed by multiple medical organizations.
Read at Ars Technica
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