Fresno (KMJ) Gov. Jerry Brown has put pen to paper and signed the controversial bill that would make vaccines mandatory for children attending public school in California.
Senate Bill 277 was authored by Sen. Dr. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento). Dr. Pan is not only a lawmaker, but a pediatrician as well.
The legislation will require almost all California schoolchildren to by fully vaccinated in order to attend public or private school, regardless of their parents’ personal or religious beliefs.
There was fierce opposition to the bill based on the parental and religious rights issue. Among those who spoke out harshly against the bill were Asmb. Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) and Asmb. Devon Mathis (R-Visalia). Many democrats in Sacramento also voiced their opposition based on the same reason and voted against it.
Read Gov. Brown’s explanation by clicking the link below:
A recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California showed 65% of public school parents support mandatory vaccines.
“The science is clear that vaccines dramatically protect children against a number of infectious and dangerous diseases,” Brown said in a signing statement (link above). “While it’s true that no medical intervention is without risk, the evidence shows that immunization powerfully benefits and protects the community.”
