Eliminate the "personal belief" vaccine exemption that's putting sick California kids at risk.
by Fakhry Ali on 18 Mar 2015
When he was only two-and-a-half years old, our son Rhett was diagnosed with leukemia. For a long time, his immune system was so compromised that he wasn't healthy enough to be immunized against diseases like whooping cough and measles.
Because he couldn't be vaccinated, Rhett relied on his classmates being immunized (what’s known as “herd immunity”) to keep him safe.
But in our home state of California, parents can send their unvaccinated children to school if they don’t think immunization is necessary, or simply don’t want them to be immunized.
Thankfully, right now, the California legislature is considering SB277, which wouldn't let parents opt out of immunizing their kids just because it's their "personal belief" they should leave their children -- and kids who can't get vaccinated -- vulnerable to dangerous, contagious diseases. The bill is picking up support, but it’s important that we maintain momentum.
Kids should be vaccinated if they're going to go to school with others. Sign this petition and tell California’s elected leaders that they should protect kids with compromised immune systems by passing Senate Bill 277 into law.
After bravely going through rounds of chemotherapy and a year in remission, Rhett is finally well enough to be immunized. Let’s send the message that the expecting mothers, babies, and hundreds of other kids with suppressed immune systems throughout California deserve to be kept safe from dangerous contagious diseases too.
