Mississippi hasn't had a case of measles since 1992. West Virginia last saw measles – a highly contagious virus that kills an estimated 314 people worldwide every day – in 2009. Now, with California's new vaccination law rolling out shot by shot, the state joins Mississippi and West Virginia to become the third in the nation to adopt stringent vaccination school entrance requirements. And medical experts say disease rates are likely to fall in California as they have in those states.
More than a year after a measles outbreak at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure spread to 134 Californians, as well as to residents in six other states and two other countries, the new law removes the personal belief exemptions that allowed parents not to vaccinate their children in public or private schools or child care centers based on an opposition to vaccines. As in Mississippi and West Virginia, California now allows only children who have a medical reason to be excused from the mandate if they wish to attend public or private schools and child care centers. Child by child, the new vaccination requirements, which took effect July 1, are being applied to babies, toddlers and students entering public or private child care, kindergarten and 7th grade.
Read Full Article »