Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, head of the ethics department of the Tzohar rabbinical organization, addressed the controversy surrounding the administration of vaccines in schools and says that while peer pressure may be used to encourage vaccination, but must not force vaccinations on anyone.
"A person has the right to refuse vaccination, even if it is intended to save his life . This right should be preserved, as an integral part of a person's autonomy. Because we are discussing a matter where a significant danger is presented to society, it is the society's right to protect itself."
"In this context, a society is also allowed to exert social pressure in favor of immunization, from advertising and public relations campaigns, to the offer of vaccines at school, as long as they are careful not to force the vaccines on anyone," Rabbi Cherlow concludes.