Senate health committee passes controversial vaccine bill

Sacramento – The Senate Health Committee passed a key bill aimed at strengthening vaccination requirements in California. The development came despite relentless opposition to the bill, which is one of the contentious issues in Sacramento and elsewhere in California.

Some parents sought to have the Senate Health Committee abandon the bill, citing that it violates their rights and puts their children at risk. However, there were also parents to who supported the billing, insisting that California residents needed to be more responsible on matters of immunization against diseases like whooping cough and measles.

Opposition fails in vaccine bill

The health committee refused to be swayed by the opposition and went ahead to give the bill a 6-2 vote approval. Those who opposed the deal said they were disgusted at the development. However, it seems opponents of the California vaccination bill hoped too much, perhaps looking at the successes made in places like Oregon and Washington. Legislators in the states had to cool on attempts to fasten vaccine laws, bowing to widespread opposition.

Admission to schools

Passage of the controversial health bill means that children will have to be immunized against diseases various diseases, including measles, before they can gain admission to California schools. The bill only allows exemptions on medical grounds.

More ground to cover

The Senate Bill 277 (SB277) will now proceed to hearing by various senate committees including the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Education Committee. Additionally, SB277 will need to go through the Assembly after which Gov. Jerry Brown can decide to approve or decline it.

Stopping frequent outbreaks

According to Richard Pan, one of the SB277 sponsors, one of the reasons for tightening vaccine laws in the state is due to continued outbreaks of whooping cough as noticed last year and in 2010 with various infant deaths.

Some California parents managed to skirt immunization against measles and other diseases by seeking exemptions based on personal beliefs.