As reported by the NY Times here, the California Assembly (legislature) has passed strict new laws to ensure widespread vaccinations.
But who would’ve thought Mississippi and West Virginia would have led California by example! That’s right, California’s Assembly just passed a law that requires vaccinations unless there is a medical reason not to do so. The measure ends exemptions for personal or religious reasons and mirrors a law already in existence for many years in Mississippi and West Virginia.
The new law, awaiting approval by the State Senate, will bring common sense and science back to the discussion regarding vaccinations. While I understand that a minority of Californians, albeit vocal, feel that requiring vaccinations is an imposition on their personal freedoms, a line must be drawn. Science has proven that we can eradicate diseases like measles and mumps with vaccinations so no one contracts them anymore. Kids with leukemia that can’t medically receive vaccinations can still attend school without fear of getting measles from an unvaccinated child carrying the virus.
As I’ve said time and again, the other practical issue is that modern doctors don’t know what measles, mumps, rubella and polio look like. That means there can be a delay in diagnosis while infectious kids spread these viruses even further. These vaccine preventable disease weren’t a major topic in medical school – we prefer to focus on current diseases and disease processes like AIDS and diabetes.
Keep in mind that kids won’t be forcibly vaccinated. They can choose to not be vaccinated and now the government has the right to choose that those kids be homeschooled. Hope your parents are patient in teaching writing and ‘rithmetic!
