Christians' long support for vaccines

This past summer, a judge in New York City ruled against three families who filed suit against the public school system, claiming their right to free exercise of religion was violated when their unvaccinated children were barred from school. In another case last year, a measles outbreak sickened unvaccinated members of a large church in Texas, drawing claims the church had discouraged vaccinations. The church later hosted vaccination clinics, and a spokesman denied the church had ever advised against vaccines.

These public episodes seemingly pit immunization against faith. Yet Christians have a long history of promoting vaccines.

In fact, religious leaders have often been the pioneers of vaccinations. Famous 17th-century Massachusetts preacher Cotton Mather had himself and his congregation inoculated against smallpox when it was still very controversial. In the early 1800s, Iceland and Sweden made the clergy responsible for vaccinations.

In some cases, religion is used as an excuse not to vaccinate when the cause is actually misplaced fear of vaccine side effects. In politically unstable countries, immunization campaigns are sometimes thwarted by groups lashing out at Western nations. Tragically, children become the victims in these cases, suffering paralysis from polio or death from measles.