About a year ago USA issued an alert to the population saying that measles cases were increasing in an increasingly uncontrolled way, due to the decrease in vaccination coverage. Earlier this year, as confirming that when the river sounds, water carries, California experienced a measles outbreak initiated at Disney, which caused about 125 cases and generated enough concern to get the government to take action.
Those measures have come now, and the state of California is about to approve one of the most restrictive laws of the United States regarding vaccines, which includes, as a more important measure, the have to be vaccinated to be able to enroll in a nursery or school, either public or private.
The exemption for "personal beliefs" or "religious reasons" will be eliminated
To date, every father and mother who wanted to avoid vaccinating their children could do so. relying on "personal beliefs" or "religious motives". The new law passed by the state Senate eliminates either of these two possibilities and a father who does not want to vaccinate his children will have to imagine avoiding medical "checkpoints." That is, do not take children to health check-ups so they do not have to give them vaccinations.
Another "point of control" (between quotation marks because it is me who calls it that) will be the time to enroll children in daycare or school, because they will not be accepted at any center. Parents who do not vaccinate their children they will have to educate the children at home. I imagine that this measure has been carried out, in large part, following letters such as that of Tim Jacks, a doctor father of a 4 year old girl with cancer, who explained how exposed her family had been (they also had a 10-month-old baby, not yet vaccinated) because other parents choose not to vaccinate, at the risk of catching measles or any other virus or bacteria preventable with a vaccine. Well, not being vaccinated you cannot be in school with other children who are or with other children who are not because they cannot get vaccinated.
Children who cannot get vaccinated?
Yes, like the daughter of Tim Jacks or all those children who have health problems, such as a chronic or acute illness that affects the immune system and that discourages vaccination. These children will be exempted from the vaccination schedule and may enroll in public or private schools.
But will it be mandatory to vaccinate?
No, mandatory as such, no. They are not going to chase the parents to get the children vaccinated, they are not going to take the children in secret to administer the vaccines or the social services are going to take custody of anyone. It will not be mandatory, but not being able to take advantage of possible exemptions and not allowing to opt to enroll the child in any center, the measure leaves parents with very little freedom in this regard.
The reason for creating such a law is to try to increase the vaccination coverage again. For viruses like measles is necessary 92% coverage, which is enough to keep it under control. In many areas of California, and especially in very rich populations off the coast of Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego, the figures did not reach 86%, being insufficient and leaving the inhabitants at risk of possible outbreaks (without going any further , in February we told you about the case of Silicon Valley, whose nursery schools had percentages that in some cases did not reach 70%).
Now the only thing missing is that Governor Jerry Brown signs the law. At that time it will take effect and public health policies in California will take a major turn.
