Yesterday, (June 30) California officially became the largest state in the country to require schoolchildren to receive vaccinations— unless there is a perfect explanation that disables them to do so, such as medical reasons
Gov. Jerry Brown, a democrat, signed a bill that ended exemptions for all personal and/or religious reasons on Tuesday. He did so because these personal and religious reasons were the cause of the high rise of unvaccinated children in California. The new law was implemented after a heated debate in reaction to some parents who refused to vaccinate their children against infectious diseases like measles. According to The New York Times, this year, California experienced an outbreak of measles, which originally began in Disneyland; However, the disease was spread in California due to the lack of children who had not been vaccinated.
“The science is clear that vaccines dramatically protect children against a number of infectious and dangerous diseases,” Mr. Brown said in a statement. “While it is true that no medical intervention is without risk, the evidence shows that immunization powerfully benefits and protects the community.”
Other states, like West Virginia and Mississippi, have similar vaccination requirements, told the New York Times.
What will happen if parents still decide not to have their children vaccinated? Under the new law, families with a non-medical reason for declining vaccines will have to home-school their children, according to The New York Times. Fortunately, unvaccinated children who are currently in school will be allowed to remain, but eventually, they will be expected to show proof of vaccination once they enter kindergarten and seventh grade.
With Sherley Boursiquot
