Law Requires Students To Show Proof Of Whooping Cough Vaccine
SACRAMENTO (AP) — Some 3 million public and private school students in California must prove they have had a booster vaccination against whooping cough to attend grades 7 through 12 this fall.
The change is one of the most sweeping among a handful of state laws taking effect Friday.
It follows a 2010 spike that killed 10 infants and affected more than 9,000 others, the most whooping cough infections in California in 63 years.
School officials and doctors have been notifying parents and students since last fall, while setting up clinics to administer the shots. Most other states already require the additional shot against the disease, also known as pertussis.
Exemptions can be granted for medical reasons or personal beliefs, but unvaccinated students can be excluded from school if there is an outbreak.
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