I don’t mean to be a buzz-kill, truly I don’t. It’s just that I made this pact with myself, on behalf of the wellbeing of mothers and babies: I decided a few years back to run this not-so-celebratory article every year on America’s birthday, as long as our country continues to show up so poorly in world rankings on maternal health. I’ll get to that in a moment, but first some breaking news. (Settle in, grab a cuppa, this is long… or should I say in more inviting terms, epic. This really is historic, and it deserves all the words it takes.)
Vaccination Nation?
California this week passed SB 277 and Governor Brown signed it into law, eliminating vaccine exemptions for philosophical, religious or medical beliefs. Under this law, parents are required to fully vaccinate their children for them to be eligible for public school admittance. The one exception is having a doctor’s note. (This strikes me as a loophole that may end up blowing back on progressive doctors; I’m envisioning waiting rooms overflowing with parents clamoring for the coveted Doctor’s Note.)
