Dive Brief:
- A bill requiring all California school children to get vaccinated has reached a standstill in the state Senate's education committee after parents opposed to the bill argued that all children are entitled to an education — vaccinated or not.
- The bill's co-sponsor, Sen. Richard Pan, must now answer questions around this topic before the legislation can proceed.
- Hundreds of families have shown up in Sacramento to protest the bill, saying the act would deprive them of the right to choose whether or not to vaccinate their child and, in turn, the guarantee that all children are entitled to a basic education.
Dive Insight:
While the need for vaccinations may seem obvious for many, this case raises issues about what constitutes discrimination. Is it discrimination to say unvaccinated students can't come to school, even if they pose serious health issues?
The bill passed last week in the Senate's health committee and must still pass its education and judiciary committees before being presented for a full vote before the Senate and House, as well as, of course, Gov. Jerry Brown. That's a lot of people to convince, so it makes sense to stall the bill now when there is still time to work out kinks and revise language.