Students who now have personal beliefs exemptions will not be kicked out of school, but will be allowed to continue enrollment until they enter the next grade span, as outlined in the law. Opponents claimed that the vaccines also carry risks and argued that parents should have the right to choose whether to use them or seek a religious exemption.
The bill applies to children attending day care or school in California. “No one thinks for themselves anymore and that is what this bill is”, said parent David Fairon.
Gov. Jerry Brown wasted no time and signed Senate Bill 277 Tuesday morning.
“Our success here in California can only be followed up by people willing to be bold and willing to take on the opposition toe-to-toe on the facts, on the science and not waiver”, Dr. Pan said. His office said earlier this year that Brown considered vaccinations “profoundly important”, and a senior adviser, though saying she was speaking on her own behalf, testified in favor of the measure. Joel Anderson said. “Patient zero isn’t those unvaccinated kids”.
Carrey also recommends everyone watch the documentary Trace Amounts, about a child who suffers from mercury poisoning, after remarking, “They say mercury in fish is risky but forcing all of our children to be injected with mercury in thimerosol [sic] is no risk”.
The legislation aims to increase immunizations in regions that have seen a sharp drop. That poses problems for what immunologists call “herd immunity”, or the percentage at which enough people are vaccinated to protect the whole community. Rhett is recovering from leukaemia and his father is concerned his child could succumb to an outbreak of measles at his Northern California school.
Still, parents opposed to the bill are holding firm.
In a news release, Donnelly, now a radio talk-show host, said the referendum is about defending the freedom of parents to make “informed decisions for their children without being unduly penalized by a government that believes it knows best”.
In September 2012, Brown signed AB 2109, requiring doctors to counsel individuals wanting vaccine exemptions and to sign forms before philosophical or medical exemptions could be be implemented.
State Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, urges lawmakers to approve his measure requiring almost all California school children to be vaccinated, Monday, June 29, 2015, at the Capitol in Sacramento.
Helfand said, “We just have to understand that if we’re going to live in a society, we have responsibilities to the entire society, and we need to take those seriously”.
