The GOP candidates for president in 2016 so far have taken a "pro-choice" position on vaccinations. Carly Florina former, CEO of Hewellt-Packard said, "Gosh, when I was a kid, I got measles chicken pox and mumps. And I'm still here. What's the big deal! Let parents make the choice about vaccinating kids."
"Vaccinations should be voluntary," stated Sen. Rand Paul. He explained that in conservative-libertarian political philosophy, "The individual has no obligation to other individuals or civil society. So, if a kid who's not vaccinated spreads it to others, that's their tough luck. Too we think that all government is incompetent to make decisions for families. There's no such thing as 'public health,' only individual health. Our philosophy is 'me first, you last.' Dr. Paul is a physician who has taken an oath to "do no harm."
Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) agreed saying, "When it comes to vaccinations you have to consider the parents who love their kids and know what's best for them. Love trumps science. So shut up you pro-vaccination people."
Rev. Mike Huckabee waded in by saying, "I know that polio is spreading in Africa and that someone who has it could come to the U.S. and start an epidemic because polio vaccinations are down. But that's just the cost of God-given freedom."
Countering these statements Dr. Peter Sanderson of the Center For Disease Control said, "Whooping cough, mumps and measles are making an alarming comeback in the U.S. That's because 'vaccines might cause autism and vaccines given too soon, might overwhelm a child's immune system,' some movie stars and celebrities have said. But all scientific studies have debunked these false notions that somehow persist."
But Rep. Louie Gomer (R-TX) disagreed and said, "I don't believe in science. It teaches evolution, climate change, and that too many windmills won't slow the wind down, which they most certainly will. Why should science be right about vaccinations? Besides, Donald Trump has said that it is dangerous to vaccinate kids."
