In the wake of the California measles outbreak, five state senators are proposing legislation to prevent parents opting out of vaccinations for their kids based on religious or personal beliefs.
California Gov. Jerry Brown said that he is open to such a bill, even though he had preserved religious exemptions to state vaccination requirements in 2012,
according to the Los Angeles Times.
Brown's spokesman, Evan Westrup, said the governor "believes that vaccinations are profoundly important and a major public health benefit, and any bill that reaches his desk will be closely considered."
California has been the worst hit of the 14 states in the measles outbreak, with more than 100 cases reported in the last two months — more than the entire country has in a typical year.
The first cases were linked to workers or visitors at the Disneyland theme park, and, according to the Times, it is the worst outbreak in the state since 2000.
Under the proposal by the five lawmakers, children would be vaccinated before attending public school, unless they have a medical condition such as a possible allergic reaction or weak immune systems. Also, schools would have to post their vaccination rates.
The plan emerged at the same time California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer urged state officials to reconsider California's vaccination policies in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Diana Dooley, the Times said.
"There are not enough people being vaccinated to contain these dangerous diseases," said Democratic state Sen. Richard Pan, a Sacramento pediatrician and one of the bill's authors.
"We should not wait for more children to sicken or die before we act. We should not wait for more children to sicken or die before we act.’
Democratic state Sen. Ben Allen, a co-author, said his district included areas where many parents have opted not to immunize their children.
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