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38
The majority who sign the Report state—
(524)
After careful consideration and much study of the
subject, we have arrived at the conclusion that it would
conduce to increase vaccination if a scheme could be devised
which would preclude the attempt (so often a vain one) to
compel those who are honestly opposed to the practice to
submit their children to vaccination, and at the same time,
leave the law to operate, as at present, to prevent children
remaining unvaccinated owing to the neglect or indifference
of the parent. When we speak of an honest opposition to
the practice, we intend to confine our remarks to cases in
which the objection is to the operation itself, and to exclude
cases in which the objection arises merely from an indisposition
to incur the trouble involved. We do not think such a scheme
impossible.
(525)
It must of course be a necessary condition of a scheme
of this description that it should be such as would prevent an
objection to the practice being alleged as an excuse to save
the trouble connected with the vaccination of the child. We
may give the following as examples of the methods which
might be adopted, It might be provided that if a parent
attended before the Local Authority and satisfied them that he
entertained such an objection no proceeding should be taken
against him. Or again a statutory declaration to that effect
before anyone now authorized to take such declaration, or
some other specified official or officials, might be made a bar
to proceedings. We do not think it would be any real gain
to parents, who had no conviction that the vaccination of
their children was calculated to do mischief, to take either of
these steps rather than submit them to the operation.