California Opts to Limit Vaccine Exemptions

The California state Assembly voted on June 25 to restrict exemptions for vaccinations for school-aged children, Reuters reports. Under the new measure, children will no longer get personal belief exemptions, but they will still be eligible for medical exemptions. The state's Senate already passed a similar version of the bill.

The move follows outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as pertussis and measles, in California. The outbreaks have been attributed to undervaccination.

With this law, unvaccinated children who do not have a medical exemption will have to receive their schooling at home or in private home-schooling groups.