Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
California's Vaccine Measure Signed Into Law By Gov. Jerry Brown
Adopting one of the most far-reaching vaccination laws in the nation, California on Tuesday barred religious and other personal-belief exemptions for schoolchildren, a move that could affect tens of thousands of students and sets up a potential court battle with opponents of immunization. (Willon and Mason, 6/30)
Senate Bill 277 requires almost all California children who attend private or public schools to be fully vaccinated regardless of their parents' personal or religious beliefs. Unvaccinated children can attend schools only if they obtain a medical exemption from a doctor. (Calefati and Seipel, 6/30)
As the bill worked its way through the legislative process, it faced strong, consistent, vocal opposition from some parents, including a small group of protesters who stood vigil outside the Capitol in Sacramento for days before it was clear Brown would sign the bill. (Dembosky, 7/1)
According to California public records, about 90% of kindergarten students had all the required immunizations in the school year 2014-2015. (Porter, 6/30)
While all 50 states require school children to be vaccinated, 48 currently allow exemptions for families with religious objections and 20 exempt children based on parents' personal beliefs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Twelve states this year considered legislation addressing vaccine exemptions. In May, Vermont became the first state to repeal its personal belief exemption, although the law still permits exemptions for religious reasons. (Szabo, 6/30)
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a hotly contested California bill to impose one of the strictest school vaccination laws in the country in the wake of an outbreak of measles at Disneyland late last year. The following is a look at what the new law signed Tuesday means for the nation's most populous state. (7/1)
A celebrity critic of vaccines and former partner of another star with an autistic child has taken to social media to denounce a new California law requiring most children be vaccinated. Jim Carrey dated Jenny McCarthy for about five years before they split in 2010. In 2005, McCarthy鈥檚 son Evan was diagnosed with autism; during their relationship and after their breakup, Carrey and McCarthy were vocal proponents of the discredited theory that vaccines and autism are linked. (Moyer,7/1)
