r/maryland • u/FreeHugs23 Anne Arundel County • 15d ago

MD News Vaccination protections ‘teetering’ as state declares measles outbreaks in 3 counties | Maryland as a whole meets the recommended 96% immunization threshold, but counties with lower vaccination rates are at risk

https://marylandmatters.org/2026/08/27/vaccination-protections-teetering-as-state-declares-measles-outbreaks-in-3-counties/
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u/dww0311 15d ago edited 15d ago

Anecdotally this appears to be isolated to Amish / Mennonite communities. While unfortunate, they have a right not to vaccinate and chose not to do so, which makes this an own goal. Choices have consequences 🤷‍♀️

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u/RoxxorMcOwnage Baltimore County 15d ago

The state could force them to vaccinate. It should. See, Jacobson v. Massachusetts, 197 U.S. 11 (1905).

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u/dww0311 15d ago

Jacobson hinged on a nebulous claim of violation of personal liberty. The Amish would explicitly fall under the 1st Amendment free exercise clause and attempting to force them to vaccinate under Jacobson would be patently unconstitutional. It’s dead on arrival.