SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A proposed California law would eliminate a personal belief exemption in school-based COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
Democratic Sen. Richard Pan introduced the Keep Schools Open and Safe Act on Monday in Los Angeles. Dr. Pan, who is also a pediatrician, says the law is needed to ensure that children are educated.
The legislation would build on a 2015 law that eliminated the personal belief exemption for all other childhood vaccinations required for schoolchildren.
Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in October announced the nation’s first coronavirus vaccine mandate for schoolchildren. So, why introduce this bill? Because the only way to get rid of the personal belief exemptions is if the state adds it to the list of ten other state-mandated vaccines.
Dr. Pan said his goal is to create certainty that kids will be safe at school.
"Families across the state and country have faced disruption, anxiety, and trauma from this pandemic for now almost two years," Dr. Pan said. "Confidence and certainty are things we all long for and yet that certainty repeatedly seems to be out of reach."
He knows this bill will come with opposition.
"There's oftentimes people trying to say that children aren't affected by the virus. We know that's not true," he said. "Children can get very sick."
Republican Assemblymember James Gallagher points out that just last week Dr. Pan introduced a bill to allow kids 12 and up to get vaccinated without parental permission.
"Now, the truth really comes out. Last week, basically the same group of legislators was saying this was all about giving children a choice as to whether or not to get the vaccine," Gallagher said. "Now, it becomes clear today that there is no choice. The only choice available to you is if you decide to get vaccinated because this same group will kick you out of school if you decide not to get vaccinated.”
Gallagher said the COVID vaccine should not be compared to the ten other required vaccines for school-aged kids in California because those have had FDA approval for decades.
“Democrats need to understand, you have to stop trying to take parents out of the equation. Parents are absolutely vital to decisions about their health care, their child's health care, and their child's education," he said. "Make no mistake about it, if this were to pass, many kids are going to exit the school system.”
If the bill passes, it will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023.
Something that Gallagher and others point out, since Newsom first announced his version of a vaccine mandate for kids three months ago, only one other state has followed suit: Louisiana.
Unlike Newsom's version, the bill doesn’t mention FDA approval as a clause at all.
Senator Pan said they may need to revise the bill if the FDA doesn't give full approval of a vaccine come 2023.
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