CALIFORNIA—In July 2016, a law was signed requiring children to be vaccinated before school enrollment, regardless of personal or religious beliefs. A two-week notice is given to parents whose children have not yet been immunized. If the parent fails to provide proof of the required vaccination, the child is subject to not being allowed to attend school.
The vaccination law came into play after an outbreak of measles at Disneyland. While vaccinations can help prevent an epidemic, it is not 100 percent guaranteed to prevent an outbreak. According to the CDC website, some parents are concerned the vaccinations to their children can cause side effects like seizure, coma, or brain damage. Seizures can occur in 1 out of 14,000 children and comas happen less than one out of a million doses. In these special cases, it is advised to seek medical attention immediately.
For parents seeking to get a medical exemption from the vaccinations, they must fill out a form that has been signed by a licensed physician. The form must show that the child has a medical condition that could put them at risk if vaccinated.
According to the California Department of Public Health, since the law was signed, the number of vaccinated children in kindergarten has increased from 90 percent to nearly 95 percent. It was projected that of that 95 percent vaccinated, only 3 percent would have a medical exemption from being vaccinated. This number has risen to 10 percent.
