Coalitions Conference Call

Summary IAC’s Survey of Immunization Coalitions, Personal Belief Exemption Legislation in California, and Brainstorming Session

Sharon Humiston presented a summary of IAC’s survey of 224 immunization coalitions. Dr. Humiston’s accompanying slide deck provides an excellent overview of her talk.
 
 

Catherine Martin provided an update of California Assembly Bill 2109. After 9 months of work, this bill was signed into law by Governor Brown on September 30. The bill requires that any parent or guardian who requests exemption from vaccination for a child must receive information about the risks and benefits from a specified healthcare provider that includes a medical doctor, osteopathic physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, naturopath (under supervision of a licensed physician), or credentialed school nurse. In his signing statement the governor directed the California Department of Public Health “to allow for a separate religious exemption on the form.” California had previously only offered medical and personal belief exemptions. The state health department will develop a form that parents can use to apply for an exemption; alternatively, the parent/guardian or healthcare professional can write a letter. The law will be implemented January 2014. Catherine concluded that this success was a real team effort.