California State Senator Richard Pan, a Democrat representing the Sacramento suburbs, was the author of Senate Bill 277, one of the most controversial California bills of 2015.

SB 277 is supposed to result in eventual “total immunization of appropriate age groups” against ten childhood diseases and possibly other diseases to be added to the list later. Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 277 in June 2015 after it passed the Assembly 46-31-3 and the Senate 24-14-2. It is now in effect as California law.

The law eliminates a statutory exemption from immunization requirements based upon personal beliefs. Private or public elementary or secondary schools, child care centers, day nurseries, nursery schools, family day care homes, or development centers are no longer allowed to admit a pupil unconditionally unless that that pupil has been immunized for listed diseases.

Vaccines have helped modern civilizations to flourish by controlling infectious diseases. And Senator Pan repeatedly referred to “science” as justification for his bill. Nevertheless, some Californians objected vehemently to a new government mandate to inject substances… Read More