Gov. Jerry Brown wasted no time and signed Senate Bill 277 Tuesday morning. According to the bill, children who won’t be vaccinated won’t be allowed to attend public or private schools in California. He add that while it was true no medical intervention is without his risk, the evidence show that immunization has powerful benefits and protects those in society.
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Two other states, West Virginia and Mississippi, have similar vaccination requirements.
SB277 eliminates an exemption many parents have used to opt their children out of some of all of the 10 required school vaccines, based on personal or religious beliefs.
California lawmakers have taken the appropriate, science-based lesson from a measles outbreak previous year that originated at Disneyland. The bill’s authors – Sens. “No one thinks for themselves anymore and that is what this bill is”, said parent David Fairon.
Donnelly’s statement rapped the governor for signing the bill requiring schoolchildren to be vaccinated unless a doctor excuses them for medical reasons.
They claim that the state is interfering with their parental rights and repressing informed consent.
Students who now have personal beliefs exemptions will not be kicked out of school, but will be allowed to continue enrollment until they enter the next grade span, as outlined in the law.
“The return of preventable infectious disease to our schools and to our communities is too frightening to bear”, said Henry, a Napa mother who co-founded the advocacy group Vaccinate California.
Opponents of the law expressed their concerns citing studies linking vaccinations to autism.
Medical exemptions will still be granted to children suffering from serious health issues, but other unvaccinated children will require homeschooling. California is now the third state to not permit parents to submit a religious exemption from vaccinations and the 33rd state to prohibit “personal belief” exemptions.
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Medical waivers from vaccinations will be an option for parents, and doctors will be able to consider family history when granting them. Humboldt County has one of the worst kindergarten vaccination rates in the state, and certain districts – particularly those around Arcata, Hydesville and Southern Humboldt – are exceedingly low, with fewer than 40 percent of kindergarteners having received their measles-mumps-rubella shots before matriculating.
