This is primarily to benefit those in their care who have allergies or compromised immune systems that preclude them from getting vaccinated themselves. These individuals can still be protected through "herd immunity."
One predictable outcome of significant pockets of society opting out of vaccination:
outbreaks.
Yes, this is one of the things that's very damaging about the "personal choice" crowd and vaccines. Most choose to ignore the fact that their personal choices can make other people, like babies, cancer patients, and people with allergies, sick or very sick.
This is where I jump right to:
nodding and (in a horrified tone of voice) asking if they know what
Prodromal Syndrome is like... OMG.... It's DEADLY. I had no idea until I
researched this.
That way you're turning that impulse in a more productive direction, at least. Because the number ONE argument that I see people make against vaccinating (on philosophical grounds) is that they'll just quarantine themselves if they're sick. NO harm done, right? (er-- yeah, not so much, actually)
There are places within my own state where exemption rates are as high as 30%+ in some elementary schools. One of them is in
a college town. {shudder} Yup. Measles outbreak just waiting to happen, pretty much.
