That is the question facing parents in Arizona. August is National Immunization Awareness Month and the former Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, Will Humble, shared his thoughts in a recent editorial titled, “Should Government Force Vaccinations?”

California recently eliminated the option for parents to declare a “personal and religious exemption” from their school vaccination requirements. Arizona allows exemptions and the number of kids not being immunized in our state continues to rise…..from 3.2 percent of kindergarten through sixth grade students who filed for an exemption from vaccinations in 2010 to 4.7 percent in 2014.

A new University of Georgia study claims that state’s with lax vaccination laws contribute to lower immunization rates and increased outbreaks of preventable diseases–like whooping cough and measles. At the same time, a Washington State study says scare tactics aimed at vaccine skeptics may backfire.

It is a polarizing debate, particularly with the new school year right around the corner. Share your thoughts and let us know how you think Arizona should handle the controversy surrounding childhood immunizations.