Vaccines are an integral part of the American society and have been instrumental in eliminating dangerous diseases that once crippled millions of people, curtailing the spread of contagious diseases that are recurrent in the population, and keeping health care costs down. Since vaccinations are manufactured to combat preventable diseases and illnesses, they undergo long and careful review by scientists, doctors and the federal government to ensure their safety. Vaccines have almost completely eradicated diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, measles, mumps, and rubella from our society.

Vaccines have become mandatory in schools due to the concentration of students and the potential for diseases to spread rapidly. Children in Pennsylvania are required to have four doses of TDaP, four doses of polio, two doses of MMR, three doses of Hepatitis B and two doses of varicella in order to attend Pennsylvania public schools. By seventh grade, children are required to have another TDaP vaccine and a meningococcal conjugate vaccine. Unless a religious or medical exemption is asserted, a child can be excluded from public school for failing to comply with the vaccination regulations.