America's New Vaccine Wars: California and the New Politics of Mandates

Mark Navin and Katie Attwell's book America's New Vaccine Wars explores the evolution of American childhood vaccination policy through political history, contemporary parenthood, and diverse governance strategies. It examines the origins and outcomes of efforts to eliminate nonmedical exemptions to school and daycare vaccine mandates, igniting polarizing debates about parents' rights, democracy, and government authority. The book features a case study of California's efforts to exclude unvaccinated children from school and daycare following the Disneyland Measles Outbreak of 2014, using original interviews with key policymakers and activists to explain the development and execution of these policies. It connects California's immunization policy developments to similar efforts across America and in other countries, unpacking the meaning and impact of these efforts for broader debates about America's immunization governance, including conflicts about coercive public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Format: Hardback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 20 September 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Mark Navin, a bioethicist, and Katie Attwell, a policy scholar, delve into the historical evolution of American childhood vaccination policy, examining its roots in political history, contemporary parenting, and diverse governance strategies. Their book, America's New Vaccine Wars, delves into the origins and consequences of the recent efforts in the United States to eliminate nonmedical exemptions to school and daycare vaccine mandates. While these policy developments have led to increased immunization rates, they have also sparked heated nationwide debates concerning parents' rights, democracy, and the government's authority to employ coercion for public health purposes.

Navin and Attwell provide a comprehensive exploration of the significance of these battles for parents, doctors, the politics of public health, and the future of bioethics. They ground the book with a case study of California's response to the Disneyland Measles Outbreak of 2014, which resulted in the implementation of new vaccination policies. Through original interviews with key policymakers and activists, the authors elucidate the development and implementation of California's vaccination policies, drawing connections to similar efforts across America and in other countries.

America's New Vaccine Wars unfolds as a narrative that chronicles the courageous efforts of political and community actors to exclude unvaccinated children from school amidst significant opposition and inadequate public health institutions. The book unpacks the meaning and impact of these endeavors for broader discussions about America's immunization governance, particularly in the context of conflicts surrounding coercive public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

By examining the historical, political, and social factors that have shaped American childhood vaccination policy, Navin and Attwell offer valuable insights into the complex dynamics that govern public health decisions. Their book serves as a timely and important contribution to the ongoing debates about vaccine mandates, parental rights, and the role of government in promoting health and well-being.

Weight: 558g
Dimension: 243 x 165 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197613238