California’s Controversial Bill To Strip Doctors’ Authority To Provide Vaccination Exemptions Advances
The legislation would give the final deciding authority to a state public health official instead. State Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) proposed the bill after seeing ads for doctors who were willing to write exemptions. Meanwhile, Maine has become the 25th state to report a confirmed case of measles.
The Associated Press:
Tougher Vaccine Rules Move Forward In California
California lawmakers moved ahead Wednesday with tougher rules that limit parents from choosing whether to vaccinate their schoolchildren as a handful of opponents shouted "We will not comply" inside the Senate. Senators sent the measure to the Assembly as the nation struggles to stem the highest number of measles cases in decades and as state efforts to strengthen vaccine requirements draw emotional opposition. (Thompson, 5/22)
Los Angeles Times:
Controversial Vaccine Bill Clears California Senate Despite Opposition From Parents
The bill comes amid the worst measles outbreak in more than 20 years, with more than 750 people diagnosed with the disease this year nationwide. Of those, 44 cases have been in California. California has some of the strictest laws in the country requiring childhood immunizations in order to attend public or private schools. Since a 2015 law, the state has allowed for exemptions from required shots only if a doctor says there is a medical reason to skip some or all of them. Previously, parents could opt their children out of vaccinations by citing a personal or religious belief, as most states allow. (Gutierrez, 5/22)
Sacramento Bee:
California Bill To Restrict Vaccine Exemptions Passes Senate
“SB 276 assures students who truly need medical exemptions will receive them and that the schools they attend maintain community immunity to keep them safe,” Pan, D-Sacramento, said in a written statement. “Through passage of SB 276, we are taking a preventive approach to keep schools safe for all students by applying a model successfully used in West Virginia, which has not experienced measles in a decade.” (Wiley, 5/22)
The Hill:
Measles Outbreak Spreads To Maine, Cases Now In Half The Country
The measles outbreak has now spread to half the country, as Maine became the 25th state to report a confirmed case of the disease. According to the Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the case was confirmed in a school-age child in Somerset County on Monday. It's the first confirmed measles case in the state since 2017. (Weixel, 5/22)
