May I know the views of Islamic jurists regarding anti-vaccination?
Vaccination is permitted in general in Islam since a good purpose is achieved by them and there is no evidence to prohibit them. As for anti-vaccination, if a person refuses vaccination for no good reason and this causes them to suffer an illness, then this would fall under the category of self-inflicted harm, which is prohibited in Islam.
and do not throw yourselves with your own hands into ruin
From the Quran, verse 2:195.
Some people believe that vaccines can be harmful. Due to the politicization of the issue it is difficult to distinguish between fact and propaganda. For example there is a chance that vaccination may over-activated the immune system, leading to possible autoimmune diseases later in life. We will just have to wait for reliable scientific studies to know more about vaccines. At the moment, it seems safest to use vaccination for dangerous illnesses.
Sources on the permissibility of vaccination
- Fatwa by the Qatari Fatwa Authority (Arabic PDF)
- Fatwa by Mufti Dr. Khalid Abd al-Munim al-Rifai (Arabic PDF)