Public healthCalifornia's strict vaccine bill would not allow vaccination waiver

Last Thursday, the California State Assembly passed SB227, an amendment to the current vaccine bill which would eliminate a waiver for parents to opt out of having their children vaccinated. The proposal passed on a 46-31 vote and is now going back to the Senate this week to confirm the amendments.

As Emergency Management reports, the vaccine bill first passed in the Senate in May with four votes to spare, but originally contained the controversial waiver. If passed in its revised form, Governor Jerry Brown said he would “strongly consider” signing it into law, and was currently in talks with the administration as the bill progressed.

“We’ve had some very positive conversations,” said Senator Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), who is the author of the bill and also a pediatrician. “The governor is a very thoughtful man who understands how important it is to protect the public.”

Under the current law, Californian children at both public and private schools and day cares are required to have immunizations against ten diseases, including mumps, rubella, measles, tetanus, diphtheria, and chicken pox — all before they are in kindergarten. A booster shot for whooping cough is also required in the seventh grade.

State health officials have said that the vaccination requirement protects the general public against outbreaks and also protects those who are unable to receive the immunizations due to age or health issues.

While the bill originally contained passages that allowed for parents to opt out of the vaccine process under religious or personal belief exemptions, the new amendment would change that.

Under SB277, students who are not vaccinated would have to be homeschooled or participate in off-campus study programs.

“It’s been an intense journey legislatively,” said Pan. “Ultimately, the important thing is that we pass a law and work with people to effectively implement it. I encourage my colleagues in the medical community and the education community to educate people about what the bill actually does because the opponents have spread so much misinformation and continue to spread so much misinformation about what the bill does.”

The change to the legislation would take California from being one of the most lenient states on the matter of school vaccination requirements to one of the most strict by not allowing any personal or religious exemptions.

“SB277 has probably received more public testimony than any other issue this year, including the state budget,” said Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-San Rafael). “For me, the bottom line is we live in a society where we have a social responsibility to act in a manner that protects not only ourselves but others as well.”

The measure was widely opposed by a diverse group of stay-at-home moms, antigovernment activists, Hollywood actresses and the Nation of Islam — which warned African American lawmakers that they would see a backlash from the community if they voted for the bill.

“We have strange bedfellows, now don’t we?” said Lori Martin Gregory, the editor of the blog Mom Street Journal. “We have Malibu Barbie next to the Nation of Islam. People look at that and go ‘Huh?’ We have some differences, we don’t agree on everything in life, but clearly we have common ground on this issue because it’s the right thing. It’s truth. There should never be a public policy that protects some of the people at the expense of others.”

Five Democrats in the assembly voted against the bill, three Democrats did not vote and two Republicans supported it. It is expected to see a new Senate vote this week.