California just cracked down on parents who don’t vaccinate their kids

In California, parents now have a clear choice: get your children vaccinated or brush up on your home-schooling skills. Today, California governor Jerry Brown signed into law SB277, a bill that eliminates personal and religious beliefs as exemptions for school vaccination requirements. That means parents in the state have very few excuses now for not getting their children vaccinated before sending them to school.

The bill is designed to help curb the growing trend of unvaccinated children in California and protect kids from catching dangerous — yet preventable — infectious diseases. SB277 was introduced after more than 100 people were infected with measles after visiting Disneyland. Many health experts attributed the outbreak to a lack of vaccine compliance.

Many parents decline to vaccinate their children due to a belief that vaccines lead to autism — a connection that has never been substantiated with science. SB277 does allow vaccine exemptions for children with medical conditions, however, like those with compromised immune systems.