YadrimVaccination in Halacha
HaRav HAGAON GAVRIEL ZINNER
WITH Rawal BEREL GRUNWALD, DR. SruaRT DrrcHEK, DR. Max BULMASH
Contents!
Introduction ~ Facts about Vaccines for Measles Prevention
1 ~Measles is a Dangerous Illness
u- ing One
IlL—"The Torah Obligation to Follow Doctors Instructions
IV We Do Not Fear U
v
Endang cf for the Sake of Saving Others
ely Harm Resulting ftom Normal, Accepted Actions
Earlier Poskin’s Positions on Vaccines
VI Contemporary Poskim’s Positions on Vaccines
“Tic arccle orginally appeared in Hebrew in the semiannual Or Yael Toca journal, published in
Monsey, New York, Adar 1 5779/March 2019, 9.7, pp. 29-48, A revised and expanded article wat
published i the si journal, published by The Dr, Falk Schlesinger Inettte for Medical Hlachic
Research at she Shaure Zedek Medial Center, Jersaer, lta, lar 5779/May 2019, ns. 115-114
(vol 29,0812), pp 9-80
“The transasion containe al adios by Rabbi Zine chat were included in he xecond Hebrew edition,
and yas reviewed and edited by Rabbi Brel Grunwald der the gidance ofthe author. The medical
Content was rovemed and approved by Start Dtchek, MD, FAAP, and Max Bulmash, MD, FAAP,
fomments by Dr. Ditchek ie printed inthe footnotes Te editor would ike to thank Rabbi Naf
ein and Rabbi Leead Staller for tei asitance withthe taslaton and editing
sponsored in memory of Chana Chava Chaya ba R. Mordechai Aryeh Leib, bam
he translation ir
“Hatin aR inner iv a rneaned pth ar autor of 01 value erie emit Nite Over.HaRaw HaGaon Gavaunt Zine | 7
‘Chanukah 5779 (2018)
‘To my friends, trustworthy physicians, devoted to the mitavah of healing and
saving lives, Dr. Mordechai Yoe! (Max) Bulmash and Dr. Yisroel Zvi (Stuart) Ditchek,
may Hashem be with you
You have asked me the following questions:
A. Does a halachic obligation exist to receive an immunization shot against
measles, especially during an outbreak? ‘There are those who wish to refuse
to be vaccinated, on the grounds that the injection can be harmful is there a
basis, from a halachic standpoint, for being concerned with these fears?
B, Isitpermitted to post atthe entrance toa medical facility that twill not accept
as patients those who voluntarily refuse to be vaccinated against measles, or
‘those who deny their children the vaccination, out of a concern that such,
people might unknowingly introduce measles there? The consequences ofthat
‘might be that in order to prevent the spreading ofthe disease all infants that
were admitted that day will have to be vaccinated (something generally not
recommended); and they (the unvaccinated individuals) will be endangering
‘those infants and other frail and susceptible adult patients
Introduction: The Facts about Vaccines for Measles Prevention
Historically, vaccines have been a highly successfal means of fighting infectious
diseases, Many previously common illnesses and epidemics were either eradicated or
diminished, thanks to vaccines.
Regarding the measles vaccine, ever since it was given to children in the USA (in
1963), the spread of measles dropped drastically in the country. The virus, which for
generations was an unavoidable childhood disease,’ has now virtually disappeared, with
the Almighty’s help. After 2000, the Federal government announced that during that
‘year not a single case of measles was reported in the entire country. Since then, minor
instances of measles spreading have occurred, caused by someone who had traveled
abroad and had not been vaccinated. This year, however, a spurt of measles cases has
taken place in Orthodox neighborhoods in New York and New Jersey, brought about by
several individuals who had not been vaccinated, who caused several other individuals,
among them children, to become ill."This proves well that vaccination is very effective
in preventing measles, and what the consequences are when people deliberately refrain
2 There is an old Yiddish expression fot a cil gong though childhood difclie:“Pok am mac
whi ieraly meas, "havng the pox having she measles8 | Yapaim
from being vaccinated. Therefore itis everyone's responsibility to ensure that his or her
children get vaccinated.
‘The Concerns of Those Who Refuse Vaccination
‘A small number of people deny their children the vaccination, primarily because
they fear the children will be harmed by the shots. In particular, they claim that
the injections cause autism in children, and they point to several pieces of research
that support this claim, However, very prominent medical researchers, greater in
both number and caliber, studied the matter and found no connection between the
vaccination and autism.’ Some mild side-effects were found; any more severe side~
effects, such as an allergic reaction, are rare (about 1/1,000,000). We can conclude that
the benefits of vaccinations are far greater than any negative consequences.
Ir is, practically speaking, the opinion of almost all physicians and professors
‘of medicine that children should be vaccinated in order to prevent the spread of
contagious diseases. Governmental Departments of Health in the USA, Europe, and
Israel, directed by their respective health commissioners or health ministers and guided
by top health professionals, instruct that all children be vaccinated, as do the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States Government (the CDC), the
“American Academy of Pediatrics, and the World Health Organization (the WHO).
Chapter I: Measles is a Dangerous Illness
Pox and Measles in the Writings of the Poskim as Dangerous Infections
‘Measles spreads more rapidly than other infectious diseases. When we study the
writings of earlier poskim (halachic authorities), we find that they considered measles 2
very dangerous epidemic disease. Many of them consider it the equivalent of smallpox,
a disease which resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of children. The authorities
deals with how to cope with the spread of this illness from a halachic perspective,
Some wrote that people are obligated to fs, in severe cases
45 [The medical study that ie quoted by those who refuse vaccinations was published in the United
Kingdom by areseacher, Andeew Wakefield who was subrequetly dicovered to have fied data
fo twelve cle with autism. ‘The study ws ected by dhe medical journal shorly alter and the
physician fost his medical cease in England as aes ofthe adalat publication le was discovered
that he was pid lage sums of money by an atorey who was atemptng to sue the MMR vacine
‘manuactute on behalf of those fies with these 12 aut children. Despite the discovery ofthe
fiauduleat dita an the los of hit medi licens, the at-vceination community continues Yo quote
‘nb findings and have ize appa a evens to promote the ant-vaciaation agenda (Ds. , Ditch)HaRaw HaGaon Gavnunt Zinn | 9
Rabbi Yosef Karo,in his Shulchan Aruch,‘nuled:"...And also we fast over illnesses.”
Rabbi Avraham Abele Gombines, in his commentary Magen Avraham,’ adds
“The same is true when blisters (ie. smallpox) are breaking out
among small children and causing fatalities, that a fast should be
declared. The great sage Rabbi Moshe composed a sclichuh (penitents!
poem) for this occurrence. The Séelai* wrote that everyone should
‘evacuate his children from the city at such a time, and ifthey fai to do
so, they are liable [to pay] with thei lives,
‘The harsh words of the Shelah ate worth reading in their entiety:
Tam astounded concerning the epidemic of small blisters (-smallpox),
known a “late German, rampant among young children, God
forbid — why are people not evacuating the young from the city?
Undoubtedly, fathers will have to account forthe deaths of innocent
infants and toddlers who did of this disease, and whose fathers did
not care to evacuate them Every iod-fearing man should therefore
fear and tremble over the prospect of such « misfortane, All these
matters of ssf preservation ate inchaded in the [Biblical] warning of
beware for youre, and guard your sol exceedingly. Te is alo