The public is entitled to protection from those who disregard common health practices. It is the duty of the state to promote and protect the general health. “Protecting the public’s health across the state is a fundamental responsibility of the state.” (RCW 43.70.512.)
It is the duty of local health jurisdictions to “reduce vaccine preventable diseases; … and increase childhood immunization rates.” Each resident of our state must bear a corresponding responsibility to others to refrain from exposing others to communicable diseases.
If such exposure may be easily avoided by means of vaccination, but parents decline, for whatever reason, including religious conviction, then those parents should bear economic and criminal sanctions for any resulting harm. We need legislation to both criminalize those who jeopardize the public and authorize civil remedies for breach of a duty to avoid others while suffering from such disease. California has adopted such legislation; Washington should do the same.
