Vaccination rates in California are dropping.
Wait, what?
Didn’t they recently pass a vaccine law that removed non-medical exemptions? How could vaccination rates be dropping?
Update on Vaccine Exemption Rates in California
While SB 277 did indeed remove all non-medical exemptions to getting vaccinated, some folks found a way around it. Since 2015, when it passed, some doctors are giving kids fake or unnecessary medical exemptions. These extra medical exemptions are likely making up for their previous personal belief vaccine exemptions.
The result?
It isn’t fewer exemptions since 2015.
While personal belief exemptions are certainly down, medical exemptions keep going up.
In addition to the 0.9% of medical exemptions, a
There are also about 1.7% of kids in kindergarten who enroll as conditional entrants.
Why is that important? Among those conditional entrants are kids with temporary medical exemptions.
And how many kids aren’t vaccinated simply because they are “receiving IEP services?”
So it is not only wrong, it is unethical to try and say that only 0.9% of kids have vaccine exemptions in California this year.
Update on Vaccine Exemption Rates in California’s Clusters
Still, the big story continues to be what’s going on in the clusters of intentionally unvaccinated kids in California and other parts of the United States.
Are they getting vaccinated and protected under SB 277?
Some actually are!
The MMR rate at the Waldorf school in San Diego was just 44% back in 2014, as a whopping 56% of kids had a personal belief exemption. As sad as it sounds, even though it is still below herd immunity levels of protection, their current MMR vaccination rate of 68% is a big improvement!
Unfortunately, there are many schools with even lower immunization rates. And of course, that means even more students with “medical exemptions” at those schools.
| School | PMEs |
| Marin Waldorf School | 31% |
| Yuba River Charter | 64% |
| Westside Waldorf School | 37% |
| Sebastopol Independent Charter | 45% |
| Muse Charter | 50% |
| Live Oak Charter | 41% |
| Nevada City School of Arts | 31% |
| Sunridge Charter | 47% |
| Santa Cruz Waldorf School | 34% |
| Cedar Springs Waldorf School | 30% |
| Journey | 33% |
| Waldorf School of Orange County | 33% |
| Coastal Grove Charter | 36% |
| Mariposa School of Global Ed | 31% |
| Waldorf School of the Peninsula | 36% |
| Maple Village Waldorf School | 30% |
In addition to these permanent medical exemptions (PMEs), some schools also have high rates of temporary medical exemptions.
Medical Exemptions for Vaccines in California are Unusually High
What’s the usual rate of medical exemptions?
As there are few reasons to skip or delay a child’s vaccines, it is lower than those rates.
A lot lower.
In one recent report, Vaccination Coverage for Selected Vaccines, Exemption Rates, and Provisional Enrollment Among Children in Kindergarten —
Also unusual is that in some cases, many of those exemptions are written by just a few doctors. In fact, families often go to these doctors just to get their kids their medical exemptions!
“…the removal of nonmedical exemptions in California was initially effective in increasing vaccination rates, but the substitution between exemption types may render the repeal partially ineffective in improving immunization coverage and preventing VPDs over time.”
Richwine et al on Do Stricter Immunization Laws Improve Coverage? Evidence from the Repeal of Non-medical Exemptions for School Mandated Vaccines
How do we fix this and get more kids vaccinated and protected?
“Beyond fostering compliance, tightening the requirements around medical waivers will also aid in promoting public policies that protect public health.”
Richwine et al on Do Stricter Immunization Laws Improve Coverage? Evidence from the Repeal of Non-medical Exemptions for School Mandated Vaccines
In addition to closing the loopholes that allow some doctors to abuse medical exemptions, it will be important to help parents be more skeptical and see through the anti-vaccine propaganda that other doctors use to scare parents away from vaccinating and protecting their kids.
Vaccines are safe, with few risks, and are obviously necessary.
More on Vaccine Exemption Rates in California
- How Is California’s New Vaccine Law Working?
- Do Vaccine Mandates Force Parents to Vaccinate Their Kids?
- How to Claim a Vaccine Exemption
- The History of Vaccine Exemptions
- A Legislative Guide to Advocating for Stronger Vaccine Laws
- Is a Family History of Altered Immunocompetence a Contraindication to Getting Vaccinated?
- California’s Vaccination Rate Slips as Medical Exemptions Rise
- How Well-Vaccinated Is Your Child’s Kindergarten? (California)
- CDC – Vaccination Coverage for Selected Vaccines, Exemption Rates, and Provisional Enrollment Among Children in Kindergarten —
United States, 2016–17 School Year - Dear Colleague letter regarding guidelines for
use of immunization exemptions - Study – Do Stricter Immunization Laws Improve Coverage? Evidence from the Repeal of Non-medical Exemptions for School Mandated Vaccines
- ACIP – Contraindications and Precautions
- CDC – Who Should NOT Get Vaccinated with these Vaccines
- As anti-
vaxx dispute rages, attention turns to California’s Waldorf schools - 4 in 10 students would have their vaccine exemptions rejected, California estimates
- One Doctor Is Responsible for a Third of All Medical Vaccine Exemptions in San Diego
- Herrera issues subpoena to anti-vaccine doctor
Anti-vaccine doctor said he uses 23andMe to exempt kids from shots, S.F. attorney says- San Francisco doctor under investigation for allegedly unlawful vaccine exemptions for children
- George Boardman: It’s time to prosecute some of our local medical exemption charlatans
- Vaccine medical exemptions – California legislature aims to curb abuse
- Anti-vaxxers have found a way around California’s strict new immunization law. They need to be stopped
- Bill to Prevent Fake Medical Exemptions Passes Senate Health Committee
- Doctors who sell vaccination exemptions endanger our kids. It’s time to crack down