CA Gov signs the vaccination bill in to law

[mefordis]

Well seeing as many of these parents already send their kids to private schools, which are often the "ground zero" for many outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases in that state, I think the impact to public schools will be minimal at worst.

It's also false to say that cases in vaccine courts are extremely hard to win. It's streamlined in the cases where a patient has suffered a known "schedule" injury for problems known to be associated with a particular vaccine. Where it gets "difficult" is in cases where there is not a demonstrable connection and parents just "know" it was the vaccine at fault.

As for the costs of the vaccine injury compensation program, it is funded by a surcharge to the cost of vaccines ($0.75 per dose) and not "taxpayer dollars".

The CA law, SB277 requires all students of public AND private schools to be fully compliant on vaccines, so there will be nowhere to go except homeschool for the antivaxxers. ALL schools and daycare. Also teachers are next - all teachers will have to be up to date on vaccines to teach in all schools (there is a bill not yet voted on) and they should.

It doesn't make any sense to enforce compliance with school children to be up to date on their vaccines but not the teachers. Does anyone disagree with that?

 

[undertheradar]

I haven't verified the 4000 number, but it indeed is extremely difficult to win a case in vaccine court.

The vaccine court was set up in the 1980's because the vaccine makers were being sued left and right due to vaccine injury. Many pharmaceutical companies left the vaccine business. This was the only way the US government could coax the pharm companies to get back into vaccine manufacturing. If the injuries were so rare I doubt it would have caused the need for the government to get involved and absolve the pharm companies from liability.

Anyway, the pharm companies now have over 300 new vaccines in the works. Everything is now a vaccine because they cannot be sued for liability for vaccine injury (like for example drugs like vioxx, etc.) It makes more financial sense for pharmaceutical companies to manufacture liability free vaccines.

What is your source for the number of vaccines in the pipeline? Are you including current drug trials? Have you included all of the start ups, both in the USA and abroad?

 

[mnrose]

Silicon Valley isn't. I work there, and most have a rational belief in science. The latest numbers were 2.06% for Santa Clara County. Marin County gets the publicity because a few schools had a high rate of personal belief exemptions, but they're under 6%.

The biggest number is from some rural counties like Humboldt, Lassen, Nevada, Plumas, and Mono. All are double-digit PME percentages. It's on page 27.

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/immunize/Documents/2014-15 CA Child Care Immunization Assessment.pdf

Yes, while there are pockets (small pockets, depending on which town you are talking about), most of the affluent areas actually have well educated people who (mainly) believe in science and do, in fact, vaccinate their kids. In Marin County, for example, there are a few whacko parents in the main portions (population wise) of the county, but MOST of the personal exemptions come from the San Geronimo Valley, where there are perhaps 3-4000 residents total, and a relatively tiny elementary school. I've lived in that Valley and can absolutely attest to the "hippie" nature of that area. I've also lived in other areas of that county and people are (gasp) pretty normal, save for their wealth.

 

[mefordis]

Yes, while there are pockets (small pockets, depending on which town you are talking about), most of the affluent areas actually have well educated people who (mainly) believe in science and do, in fact, vaccinate their kids. In Marin County, for example, there are a few whacko parents in the main portions (population wise) of the county, but MOST of the personal exemptions come from the San Geronimo Valley, where there are perhaps 3-4000 residents total, and a relatively tiny elementary school. I've lived in that Valley and can absolutely attest to the "hippie" nature of that area. I've also lived in other areas of that county and people are (gasp) pretty normal, save for their wealth.

 

[CPT Tripss]

The vaccine reactions may be rare but they are nonetheless heartbreaking to hear about:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFCrfK5rP_B6huriP1hLApw/videos

I'm old enough to have friends that grew up with polio. Thankfully, that and other diseases are preventable.

 

[nugov2]

I haven't read through all the comments, but this to me is little more than giving people a false sense of security. I am not antivax, but I will not do certain ones (flu, hpv). There are lots of doctors who already give out medical exemptions for more than just life threatening reactions, allergies etc. My friend sees a doctor who strongly believes that while vaccines don't cause autism some people's bodies can't process the vaccines the way others can and cause them to mimic symptoms. Obviously this is just a quick explanation of it, but she has a medical release with testing to prove this. Her daughter is vaccinated her son is not. Many people who strongly believe vaccines can cause medical issues will have no problem getting these exemptions. I don't think this will change anything other than making people who get upset about people who don't vaccinate to feel like something has changed.

 

[bcla]

Yes, while there are pockets (small pockets, depending on which town you are talking about), most of the affluent areas actually have well educated people who (mainly) believe in science and do, in fact, vaccinate their kids. In Marin County, for example, there are a few whacko parents in the main portions (population wise) of the county, but MOST of the personal exemptions come from the San Geronimo Valley, where there are perhaps 3-4000 residents total, and a relatively tiny elementary school. I've lived in that Valley and can absolutely attest to the "hippie" nature of that area. I've also lived in other areas of that county and people are (gasp) pretty normal, save for their wealth.

San Geronimo Valley? That might explain things. Yeah, I've passed by on the way to Point Reyes. That area on Sir Francis Drake Blvd is kind of strange. Rural in character but really not much farming. Mostly bedroom communities from San Geronimo to Lagunitas. I also can't figure out how such a small stretch of low population communities gets so many post offices.

I would have thought Mill Valley, which does have a high rate. However, mostly agricultural West Marin has the highest proportion of unvaccinated.

http://www.marinmagazine.com/September-2014/Calling-the-Shots/

 

[mefordis]

Are you aware that home school families are able to go to local school districts to receive school supplies? That the State of California will provide computers for home schooling use, upon request? It is about choice, plain and simple. Up thread someone suggested forming a "magnet" school, another way of self directing taxpayer funds.

As for funding dropping, I'd rather those that choose not to vaccinate keep out of the general population. It is a choice to put everyone else at risk, time for society to start restricting how much risk we are exposed to.

You are correct, but as long as homeschoolers do not accept materials from the public schools the schools get $0 for that pupil. I doubt anyone who home schools would go with the inferior, common core materials anyway. There are some great materials out there and freedom to use whatever they wish.

 

[mom2rtk]

You are correct, but as long as homeschoolers do not accept materials from the public schools the schools get $0 for that pupil. I doubt anyone who home schools would go with the inferior, common core materials anyway. There are some great materials out there and freedom to use whatever they wish.

You sound like you have a lot of disdain for the public school system. If it's that bad, then homeschool your kids and the vaccination law won't matter.

 

[gator75]

What i wish would happen is that all 50 states make this law. I also wish that it would be taken a step further and if you bring your child into a physicians office for suspected disease that said suspected disease not be covered if not vaccinated. I had a neighbor that had polio as a child i wish that people could see what a struggle she had after being left crippled by something that is now totally preventable.

 

[kamik86]

I hadn't realized CA had a law that all private schools have to follow the same vaccination rules. I'm not sure I agree with that part. I think there should be a law that all schools must disclose their vaccination policies (so parents know what they are getting into) but private schools should be able to choose.

Then if the anti-vaxxers want to make a private school for all their kids they can do that.

 

[bcla]

I hadn't realized CA had a law that all private schools have to follow the same vaccination rules. I'm not sure I agree with that part. I think there should be a law that all schools must disclose their vaccination policies (so parents know what they are getting into) but private schools should be able to choose.

Then if the anti-vaxxers want to make a private school for all their kids they can do that.

All private schools must be registered with the state. Other than that, the state doesn't have any standards or licensing for private schools outside of a few laws like vaccination laws.

 

[Disneychick75]

Glad we still have the freedom to choose in our state.
People may have to home school in CA but if they're like a lot of home schools, they'll form groups. Parents from the group tutor children if needed. There are home school playgroups as well. It's pretty dumb if you think about it because the kids will still go out in public- maybe even more than before the law because some home schools take a lot of field trips to parks and museums.

 

[undertheradar]

Glad we still have the freedom to choose in our state.
People may have to home school in CA but if they're like a lot of home schools, they'll form groups. Parents from the group tutor children if needed. There are home school playgroups as well. It's pretty dumb if you think about it because the kids will still go out in public- maybe even more than before the law because some home schools take a lot of field trips to parks and museums.

Which is why the law does not go far enough with regards to restrictions. Just because someone chooses to take risks via not vaccinating, it is selfish to expose those in society who do vaccinate.

 

[mom2rtk]

Glad we still have the freedom to choose in our state.
People may have to home school in CA but if they're like a lot of home schools, they'll form groups. Parents from the group tutor children if needed. There are home school playgroups as well. It's pretty dumb if you think about it because the kids will still go out in public- maybe even more than before the law because some home schools take a lot of field trips to parks and museums.

Which is why the law does not go far enough with regards to restrictions. Just because someone chooses to take risks via not vaccinating, it is selfish to expose those in society who do vaccinate.

I will add that just because we can't guarantee 100% compliance does not mean we should not try at all. I would feel much better knowing my kids were only in school (6 plus hours a day in close contact) with other vaccinated kids even if a few unvaccinated kids are still out there at museums and parks.

Minimal exposure is always better than maximum exposure.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

I hate to see what the next few generations have to deal with once the lack of vaccinations starts to get played out. What a wonderful thing we're doing for all of them.

 

[Disneychick75]

Which is why the law does not go far enough with regards to restrictions. Just because someone chooses to take risks via not vaccinating, it is selfish to expose those in society who do vaccinate.

We all have our own opinions.

 

[mondragon]

What i wish would happen is that all 50 states make this law. I also wish that it would be taken a step further and if you bring your child into a physicians office for suspected disease that said suspected disease not be covered if not vaccinated. I had a neighbor that had polio as a child i wish that people could see what a struggle she had after being left crippled by something that is now totally preventable.

This. I work with an anti-Vaxxer who says high doses of vitamin c is the answer to everything.....idiot!!

 

[stitchfan75]

As an RN I find the whole anti-vax campaign laughable. I am required by the board of nursing and my employer to have my vaccines up to date, plus in order to get my yearly raise it's mandatory I have a flu shot. You don't see nurses running through the streets calling the board Hitler.
No matter what they try to say..my response will be "I can't even." There is no no scientific basis for any of it. I'm not concerned about my kids because they have all been vaccinated, my concern is for the infant's that are to young to be vaccinated. You don't get your first MMR at birth, or a DTP. So mom takes out little Johnny at 8 weeks, just like her pedi suggested and here comes Susie with her 3 unvaccinated kids...one of which is harboring measeles (or worse whooping cough) and now little Johnny is sitting in my PICU. Thank you Susie.
Luckily Tarrant County has been pretty successful with their DTP program for pregnant women, it gets the antibodies in there so the infant has at least a little coverage before it wears off.

 

[CPT Tripss]

I hadn't realized CA had a law that all private schools have to follow the same vaccination rules. I'm not sure I agree with that part. I think there should be a law that all schools must disclose their vaccination policies (so parents know what they are getting into) but private schools should be able to choose.

Then if the anti-vaxxers want to make a private school for all their kids they can do that.

I fail to see any public health benefit to making life easier for anti-vaxxers. Seems like their high risk behavior might even justify higher health insurance premiums.