As SB 276 becomes law in California, one thing we have been hearing about from some folks is how it will affect medically fragile children.
Will SB 276 or vaccine laws in other states take away the medical exemptions from medically fragile children?
Of course not!
Who Are the Medically Fragile Children?
The first thing to understand is that when folks like Rob Schneider talk about medically fragile children, they are using the term differently than when medical professionals and most parents do.
“Medically fragile” means having an acute or chronic health problem which requires therapeutic intervention and skilled nursing care during all or part of the day. Medically fragile problems include, but are not limited to, HIV disease, severe lung disease requiring oxygen, severe lung disease requiring ventilator or tracheostomy care, complicated spina bifida, heart disease, malignancy, asthmatic exacerbations, cystic fibrosis exacerbations, neuromuscular disease, encephalopathies, and seizure disorders.
2005 California Health and Safety Code Sections 1760-1761.8 FACILITIES HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTION 1760-1761.8
The medically fragile kids as defined by the California Health and Safety Code, who require skilled nursing care, are not typically the kids who are getting routine medical exemptions.
Sure, some of them might need one. A child with severe HIV disease or a malignancy being treated with chemotherapy would likely get a medical exemption for live vaccines, etc.
A child with an acute encephalopathy or uncontrolled seizures would also qualify for a medical exemption.
And since vaccines aren’t 100% risk free, there might be some kids with a vaccine injury among these medically fragile kids. It is likely not a high number though, as severe reactions to vaccines are very rare.
“CMC {children with medical complexity} are likely increasing in prevalence because of increased survival rates of infants born prematurely, those born with various congenital anomalies, and/or those with chronic conditions, as well as improved treatments for acute illnesses in fields such as intensive care and oncology.”
Cohen et al on Children With Medical Complexity: An Emerging Population for Clinical and Research Initiatives
In most other cases, medically fragile kids wouldn’t need a medical exemption and would greatly benefit from being vaccinated and protected!
They would also greatly benefit if everyone around them was vaccinated and protected, especially if they did have a medical exemption.
Again, no one is coming to take their necessary medical exemptions if they have one though.
More on Medically Fragile Children
- Did the AAP Say That Vaccines Cause Severe Brain Injury?
- Is Ocular Palsy a Vaccine Injury?
- Is a Crooked Face a Sign of a Vaccine Injury?
- Vaccine Injury Stories That Scare Parents
- Vaccine Injuries vs Coincidences
- Side Effects and Adverse Events Following Immunizations
- 2005 California Health and Safety Code Sections 1760-1761.8 FACILITIES HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTION 1760-1761.8
- Study – Children who are medically fragile in North Carolina: using Medicaid data to estimate prevalence and medical care costs in 2004.
- Study – Care coordination for children with medical complexity.
- Study – Children with medical complexity: an emerging population for clinical and research initiatives.
- A new definition of children with special health care needs.
- Supporting Medically Fragile Children and Their Families
- Medically Fragile: Handle with Care
- The Medically Fragile Child. Caring for Children with Special Healthcare Needs in the School Setting
- SB 276 is now law, and antivaxers are not the “new civil rights movement”
- A Common Virus Wreaks Uncommon Havoc in a New Jersey Nursing Home for Medically Fragile Children