Why can't scientists be sure whether vaccination should be compulsory?

Answer 1

Scientists don't make those decisions. Doctors can recommend vaccinations, but it comes down to personal choice, balancing the risk of disease with the risk (or even just the discomfort) that can come with vaccines. Only a small percentage of recipients suffer adverse effects, but that is little comfort if you happen to be one of them.

Answer 2

In our society, not much is compulsory. The science is quite clear that vaccinations protect the entire population, not just the individual from diseases that used to cause blindness, disabilities and death. The effects of many of these diseases have been forgotten over time because few people get them these days. A 1998 article in Lancet, Andrew J. Wakefield first linked autism to vaccinations. Despite its being thoroughly repudiated, many still believe it is true. In addition, vaccinations protect those who are too young to be vaccinated. Some statistics back this up. Unvaccinated children were roughly 23 times more likely to develop whooping cough, nine times more likely to be infected with chicken pox, and 6.5 times more likely to be hospitalized with pneumonia or pneumococcal disease than vaccinated children from the same communities.There have been multiple outbreaks of measles in the last few years. Information on the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) website and articles in the Scientific American discuss this further.