Prof. Maya Goldenberg, Department of Philosophy, spoke to The Canadian Press about whether there are merits to vaccination objections that are based on religious or philosophical grounds. The article appeared on CBC.ca, CTVNews.ca and elsewhere.

Toronto Public Health is petitioning the Ontario government to stop allowing schoolchildren to be exempted from vaccination requirements due to religious or philosophical reasons.

Goldenberg said there are actually no Biblical or academic doctrines that justify such exemptions.

“The truth is, no major religion objects to vaccines,” she said.

She also could think of no philosophical framework that objects to vaccines, noting that just objections are usually related to personal beliefs rather than philosophical grounds.

Goldenberg has long examined the issue of vaccine hesitancy and is preparing to release a new a book on the topic in 2020. Goldenberg studies bioethics, the philosophy of medicine and feminist philosophy.