Rand Paul: Mandatory vaccines could lead to 'martial law'

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who is widely believed to be considering a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, once said that mandatory vaccines could presage the imposition of "martial law," according to video unearthed by The Washington Free Beacon.

"You have to weigh the risks of the disease versus the risks of the vaccine," Paul says in the video from 2009. "But I'm not going to tell people who think it's a bad idea that they have to take it because everybody should be allowed to make their own health care decisions."

Vaccination has emerged as a potent political issue in recent days, following a recent outbreak of measles, a disease that has officially been "eliminated" in the United States since 2000. Republicans, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, have struggled with the issue, seeking to advocate safe healthy policy while also placating a conservative base that is suspicious of government mandates.

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