An argument based on altruism wouldn't ring true with me. I'm not an altruist and, while I'm absolutely in the minority in that regard, there are others that d

An argument based on altruism wouldn't ring true with me. I'm not an altruist and, while I'm absolutely in the minority in that regard, there are others that don't accept altruism as a valid moral system either. I don't think you need altruism to make a good argument for vaccines and that you can construct good arguments for altruists and egoists alike. Perhaps the only argument I need is to know that I need to protect myself from the damn fools that don't get them... I expect your assessment of risk to the non-vaccinated compared to the risk of the vaccines themselves in a generally vaccinated population is not correct depending on the disease. I expect that if you're not vaccinated against small pox, your chance of getting it is very low compared to the risk of the vaccine itself... but that if you're not vaccinated against measles you're risking much more than the what risk the vaccine presents. Having said all this I can assure you that, as an egoist, I have most vaccinations and have had my young child get all the normal vaccinations. Not for some greater good, but because it's in our self interest.