State Assembly approves vaccine bill

SACRAMENTO — The California Assembly passed a bill Thursday that would eliminate a broad waiver that allows parents to opt their children out of required vaccinations for school and day care. Doctors will still be allowed to approve medical exemptions for children who cannot be safely vaccinated as well as conditional admissions for those who intend to have their children vaccinated, but are not up to date at the time of enrolling in public or private school or day care. SB277 would take California from being one of the more lenient states in the country on school vaccination requirements to one of the most strict by not allowing a religious exemption as 46 states currently allow. The vote comes after months of increased lobbying by a vocal opposition group, which has staged rallies across the state and whose members have stood for hours to log their concerns during Capitol hearings. Opposition to the bill has united diverse groups — from stay-at-home moms in tony neighborhoods to the Nation of Islam, which warned black lawmakers that they would face backlash if they voted for the vaccine mandate. “Those who are at risk for contracting disease can still be exposed by riding on an airplane or going to the doctor, therefore the state using it to infringe on the rights of certain students to attend school doesn’t make sense,” Gatto said.