The discovery of vaccines has prevented the spread of infectious diseases around the world. Vaccines control the spread of diseases such as measles, tuberculosis, smallpox and influenza. Additionally, vaccines improve the overall health of not only individuals, but also populations. Although these benefits are proving effective globally, requiring children to be vaccinated to enter the public school system remains a current public health issue. Some say vaccines are dangerous for children and can cause side effects. Others argue that requiring children to be vaccinated before entering school protects the health of those who attend school. These views create a challenge among parents who must decide whether or not to vaccinate their children, regardless of the benefits that vaccinations provide. The lack of federal regulation compounds the problem, as many argue that states are violating constitutional law. States require children to be vaccinated before being enrolled in the public school system. The Tenth Amendment, from the Bill of Rights, gives states the power to enforce public health recommendations. It is through this power that states are able to mandate vaccination, for example by vaccinating children in order to be enrolled in public schools. According to Alexandria Stewart, some have opposed this view by arguing that states do not have the right to adopt such policies (Stewart 2008, 801-803). Opponents adhere to the rights afforded to them under the First and Fourteenth Amendments. Stewart points out that courts have said that states' policies to vaccinate children do not violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments because states reserve the right to protect...... middle of paper .... .. to be vaccinated before entering the public school system. Some argue that the government should not interfere in people's health decisions, and others argue that getting vaccinated helps protect overall health. However, vaccinations have helped reduce preventable deaths in the United States and a mandatory federal law should be enacted to ensure that all children are vaccinated. Works Cited Alan, Hinman R., Orenstein A. Walter, Williamson E. Don, and Darrington Denton. Childhood immunization: laws that work. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 2002: 30, (3): 122-27. Khalili, Donya and Arthur Caplan. "Off the grid: vaccinations among homeschooled children. The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 2007: 35(3): 471-77. Stewart, Alexandra. Childhood vaccines and school entry laws: the HPV vaccine cases Public health reports November -Dec. 2008:123 (6): 801-803.