California lawmakers pushed ahead with a bill that will make it mandatory for parents to vaccinate their children.
Once implemented, it will make it harder for parents to cite reasons such as personal or religious beliefs to prevent vaccinating their kids. The bill was passed by the Senate health committee 6-2 though there still are several legal hurdles before the bill finally becomes a reality.
Those against the Senate Bill 277 slammed it claiming it violates parent's rights.
"I have very profound feelings about parental rights and responsibilities and great dismay in American society over the decades how much that parental right, that parental responsibility has diminished," Republican senator Jim Nielsen was quoted saying by the Sacramento Bee.
Another reason why parents often refused to vaccinate their kids is the fear of side effects or even contracting autism in the process. While medical professional stated allergic reactions to vaccines can't be ruled out, vaccine manufacturers are quick to point out vaccines can't be linked to autism anymore now that thimerosal - a substance that contains mercury but has been used for preserving vaccines - isn't in use anymore.
There are widespread protests opposing the bill with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. siding with the detractors. Kennedy accused the federal health authorities for working in collusion with the pharmaceutical industry and slammed authorities for allowing the California Department of Public Health for making fresh additions to the list of vaccines needed to attend school.
The public hearing witnessed scenes of heated arguments between those who opposed or supported the bill. Several of them had to be ejected for being particularly unruly.
Those favouring the bill 277 justify it claiming their kids will no longer run the risk of contracting disease from those who have not had the prescribed shots.
The Bill 277 was mooted in view of a measles outbreak in Disneyland in December that went on to affect more than 150 across the United States, with about 126 of them being in California itself. Several parents claimed their wards picked up the disease from others in school and suffered for no reason of theirs, reported Reuters.