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WEDNESDAY, Sept. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A bill that targets doctors who sell fraudulent medical exemptions for vaccinations was passed Tuesday by California’s state Assembly.<\/p>\n
The legislation would give state public health officials the power to investigate doctors who grant more than five medical exemptions in a year and schools with vaccination rates of less than 95 percent, the Associated Press<\/i> reported.<\/p>\n
After the 47-to-17 vote, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said that he will seek additional amendments to the bill. The office said “there are a few pending technical — but important — changes to the bill that clarify the exemption and appeal process that have broad support,” the AP<\/i> reported.<\/p>\n
Opponents of the bill claim it interferes with doctor-patient relationships, while supporters say too many vaccination exemptions reduce the “community immunity” that limits measles outbreaks. “This protection is being undermined by a handful of unscrupulous physicians who are profiting from putting children at risk and making our schools less safe,” said Democratic Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego, a principal coauthor of the bill, the AP<\/i> reported.<\/p>\n