A child under five years old has died of measles in Ontario, according to the province’s public health agency, the first such death in more than a decade.
In a report published Thursday, Public Health Ontario said the child was not vaccinated against the highly infectious respiratory virus. It did not indicate when or where the child died, or their age.
The report shows there were no other measles-related deaths recorded in the province between Jan. 1, 2013 and this week.
Measles has been on the rise in both Ontario and elsewhere in Canada as cases increase globally, particularly in Europe, which has seen tens of thousands of infections over the last year.
I don’t think their unvaccinated status should play into whether charges are laid. I would argue if, as soon as symptoms appeared, the parents sought appropriate medical care, that’s not manslaughter. On the other hand, if the parents delayed care, that’s similar to other child-neglect/manslaughter cases we’ve seen, and they could be charged for their actions.
I don’t like that we have anti-vax people in our society, but I support their right to choose. Their choices do come with some consequences (limits to job prospects, places they can go, etc.) but if we say not vaccinating your child alone is enough to trigger charges, that’s very close to saying that choice is illegal.
That’s negligent homicide.
If that was so, not vaccinating an offspring would be child neglect, right? However, that’s not how our laws work.
I don’t. I also don’t support people’s right to choose to fire guns at my house, piss on my windows, or any number of other things. We live in a society. There are rules
Indeed, but by the rules we have state this isn’t manslaughter, right?
Even delaying care doesn’t bring criminal charges, as seen in Alberta.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/david-collet-stephan-ezekiel-trial-decision-1.5288343
I’m probably being pedantic, but they were charged, they just weren’t convicted.