CA Bill Limiting Vaccine Exemptions Attracts Capitol Crowd

Hundreds of families skeptical about vaccines invaded the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon when they opposed a bill that would give the state the power to decide whether children will benefit from a medical exemption for mandatory vaccines.

The large crowd lined up for nearly four hours to oppose Senate Bill 276, drafted by Senator Richard Pan, Senator of D-Sacramento, at a hearing before the Senate. Senate Committee on Health.

The proposal would limit the way doctors administer medical exemptions for vaccines in California, removing that authority from the physician's hands and handing it over to public health officials.

Pan, a physician, wrote the bill to compel "unscrupulous doctors" who, he said, granted unnecessary medical exemptions for vaccines. Vaccines are most effective when a large majority of the population is immune to preventable diseases and are worried about excessive exemptions that put children at risk.

The anti-vaccinist protesters described the bill as "draconian", telling personal stories about children who had suffered illness after receiving vaccines. One of the legislators accused lawmakers of being "brainwashed".

For people who doubt the medical necessity and safety of vaccines – including mothers who whisper the ingredients of each vaccine and homeopathic doctors touting alternative medicines – the bill compromises the parent-physician relationship and their freedom to choose the treatment of their children.

"We think the relationship between a patient and their doctor is sacred," said Nicole Shorrock, a pediatrician who testified against the bill. "Patients have the right to have their medical treatment determined by their doctor, not by someone appointed by the government. This bill will essentially destroy the sanctity of a doctor-patient relationship. "

Dozens of doctors in white coats objected to herself and other opponents. They urged the committee to pass the bill to prevent outbreaks of debilitating and preventable diseases.

The CDC has reported more than 695 cases of measles across the country this year. Three cases have been confirmed in Sacramento County.

For parents of children with cancer or autoimmune diseases, Pan's bill represents the end of "dummy" exemptions that leave children vulnerable to communicable and preventable diseases.

"Vaccines save lives and are essential to help us control diseases that, not so long ago, were a deadly threat to public health," said Sergio Flores, California physician and representative. Medical Association.

Pan's bill was passed by 6 votes to 2, after almost six hours of testimony and discussion. It must be passed in full by the Senate, the Assembly and be signed by Governor Gavin Newsom before becoming law.

SB 276 would require physicians to file a uniform document requesting an exemption for medical expenses from the State Department. The ministry would determine whether to grant the exemption.

The new process would begin on January 1, 2021. The ministry should maintain a database of the physicians who administer the vaccinations and for what reasons.

If an exemption is rejected, the doctor would have the opportunity to appeal the refusal.

The legislation follows a 2015 law also drafted by Pan, which removes personal beliefs from a list of reasons not to vaccinate a child enrolled in a California school. His new proposal would further limit the possibilities for exemptions.

The proposal "maintains and restores integrity," Pan said, and "guarantees students who actually need a medical expense exemption, an exemption."

Medical exemptions, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are intended for children who may be seriously injured by a vaccine. Those that include children who have had life-threatening reactions after a vaccine, or who are undergoing chemotherapy, to name a few.

Some of the opponents of the bill at the hearing blamed the vaccines for causing upsetting medical conditions. They carried the young children during their testimony or hoisted posters showing pictures of their children.

Christina Mecklenburg, among mothers desperate to stop SB 276, said her 2-year-old daughter, Hayden, was suffering from side effects that left her with the 2018 MMR vaccine.

According to Mecklenburg, who said he had vaccinated his two older children, Hayden was hospitalized with the vaccine and underwent MRI tests to determine what happened.

"As a mother, you are like" what's going on, why is this happening to her? ", Said Mecklenburg.

A doctor subsequently granted the girl a permanent medical exemption from the compulsory vaccines, finding that the MMR vaccine had triggered a nervous disorder.