California to pass mandatory vaccine bill

The California Senate on Monday gave their final approval of a bill that would eliminate the personal belief exemption that now allows parents to decline to vaccinate their children and still enroll them in school.

The measure was create after a recent outbreak of measles at Disneyland in December infected over 100 people.

The bill passed on a 24-24 vote joining only two other states, Mississippi and West Virginia, that have the same strict requirements in place, according to The Washington Post.

Although reaffirmed by the vote, Governor Jerry Brown has not yet disclosed on whether or not he will sign the bill. Since the bill did not pass with a two-thirds majority that is needed to override a governor’s vote.

Although the bill has been upheld in court, even by the Supreme Court, parents opposed to it claim that they will still pursue taking legal action against it.

“I will sue to put my child in school,” said Jude Tovatt of Roseville and the parent of an 8-year-old child. “I will not run from the state that is our home.”

Still, on the other hand, many parents cheered the bill and are leaning against Gov. Brown to sign it.

“I know that he is very pro-science and that’s really what this bill comes down to: leadership in public health, and supporting evidence-based science,” said Hannah Henry, mother of four from Napa who started Vaccinate California, a parental group in support of the bill.

The governor’s spokesman Evan Westrup has spoken many times in the past few days.

“The governor believes that vaccinations are profoundly important and a major public health benefit, and any bill that reaches his desk will be closely considered.”

Democratic Sens. Richard Pan of Sacramento said: “The science remains unequivocal that vaccines are safe, that vaccines save lives.”

If the bill does pass, there will still be medical exemptions granted to those families with children that have serious health issues. Other parents that refuse vaccination for their children can attempt to obtain medical exemptions or choose homeschooling for their children.

The bill will override any families with school-aged children that claim a personal belief exemption. According to the bill, if passed, all children must get fully vaccinated by kindergarten and seventh grade, the state’s two vaccine checkpoints.

The bill has, however, been updated by its authors to establish a grandfather clause, allowing students who currently claim a personal belief exemption to maintain it until their next vaccine checkpoint.

Gov. Brown has 12 days to decide whether or not he will sign the bill.

 

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