Opinions on vaccines vary widely. Some say they are the greatest public health development ever invented, while others believe they are a dangerous, even deadly experiment.
Whatever you believe, the law aims to have every child vaccinated. There is no law on the federal level mandating vaccination. But in all 50 states, vaccinations are required for children to enter the school system.
Most states (except for Mississippi and West Virginia) allow exemptions based on religious beliefs, and 19 states allow exemptions for philosophical objections. But these allowances won’t last for long in California. Last year, California lawmakers passed SB277, a law that allows vaccine exemptions only for verifiable medical reasons.
The new law poses a big problem for California resident and mother-of-two Sharon Brown. Despite repeated assurances from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and several peer-reviewed studies that conclude there is no link between vaccines and autism, Brown refuses to vaccinate her kids.