University Of California May Require Measles Vaccine For Admission In 2017
BERKELEY (CBS SF) – The University of California system may soon mandate incoming students to be vaccinated for several contagious diseases, including measles.
According to the website Inside Higher Ed, students would be required to have immunizations for measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, meningococcus and tetanus. UC students are currently required to be vaccinated against hepatitis B.
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The requirement would take effect in 2017.
James Cherry, MD of the UCLA Medical Center told the publication that the requirement should take effect sooner. "The way things are going right now, we're going to have an epidemic on college campuses. That is the situation we're in," Cherry said.
A spokesperson for the UC system said the proposal was in place long before the current measles outbreak.
California is among 22 states that don't require college students to be immunized against the measles.
As of Monday, more than 90 people in California have been infected with the measles, with many of the cases linked to a measles exposure at Disneyland over the holidays. In the Bay Area, at least 13 measles cases have been confirmed.
