(CNN) -- Although vaccines are required for entry into school in most places in the United States, the government does allow for exceptions, like religious reasons.
In the last few years, the rates of vaccine-preventable illness such as measles and mumps have been on the rise. In most cases, these outbreaks began with children who were unvaccinated. In a school environment, an unvaccinated child who has a contagious disease can more easily spread it to other children.
To combat this threat, some schools in New York have been refusing to allow unvaccinated children to attend school, where they might start outbreaks or make outbreaks worse. Several parents thought this was unfair and filed lawsuits. Just recently, though, a federal court ruled in favor of the city schools, citing that government has the power to make decisions that would protect public health.
The court made the right decision. Immunizations are important because they allow us to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
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