Vaccination bill becomes law

A day after clearing the California Legislature, the controversial vaccination measure, Senate Bill 277, was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown (pictured).

The legislation was authored by state Sens. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) and Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) following the measles outbreak at Disneyland last year. It does away with personal belief exemptions and therefore requires nearly all children attending public school in the state to be vaccinated (medical exemptions are still allowed). California now becomes one of three states, along with Mississippi and West Virginia, with such strict requirements, according to The Associated Press. The law will take effect Jan. 1, 2016.

In a signing statement, Brown said the law will “protect children against a number of infectious and dangerous diseases. While it’s true that no medical intervention is without risk, the evidence shows that immunization powerfully benefits and protects the community.”