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---
title: California Moves to End Measles Vaccine Exemptions
description: Lawmakers in California moved to end parents’ right to exempt their children from school vaccinations based on personal beliefs.
canonical: https://time.com/3697166/california-measles-exemption/
author: Noah Rayman
article:opinion: false
article:content_tier: free
article:published_time: 2015-02-05T16:02:55.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T04:11:00.070Z
article:section: Health
og:title: California Moves to End Measles Vaccine Exemptions
og:description: Lawmakers in California moved to end parents’ right to exempt their children from school vaccinations based on personal beliefs.
og:url: https://time.com/3697166/california-measles-exemption/
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og:image:alt: Carmen Lopez, Charles Goodman
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twitter:title: California Moves to End Measles Vaccine Exemptions
twitter:description: Lawmakers in California moved to end parents’ right to exempt their children from school vaccinations based on personal beliefs.
twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd1acb4bf6ac1377b/69877d2e06f2c17ec6333c3c/measles-vaccine.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=1200&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp&amp;crop=16:9
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![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd1acb4bf6ac1377b/69877d2e06f2c17ec6333c3c/measles-vaccine.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9)


# California Lawmakers Move to End Exemptions for Measles Vaccine

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![Noah Rayman](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blteac8cc11d1220abd/69868571361760f64290ae59/mg_3037.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)

by 

[Noah Rayman](https://time.com/author/noah-rayman/)


![Noah Rayman](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blteac8cc11d1220abd/69868571361760f64290ae59/mg_3037.jpg?branch=production&width=96&quality=75&auto=webp)

## Noah Rayman


Feb 5, 2015 4:02 PM UTC

![Carmen Lopez, Charles Goodman](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd1acb4bf6ac1377b/69877d2e06f2c17ec6333c3c/measles-vaccine.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

Pediatrician Dr. Charles Goodman talks with Carmen Lopez, who is holding her 18-month-old son Daniel after being vaccinated with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, at his practice in Northridge, Calif., on Jan. 29, 2015

Pediatrician Dr. Charles Goodman talks with Carmen Lopez, who is holding her 18-month-old son Daniel after being vaccinated with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, at his practice in Northridge, Calif., on Jan. 29, 2015 Damian Dovarganes—AP

![Noah Rayman](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blteac8cc11d1220abd/69868571361760f64290ae59/mg_3037.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)

by 

[Noah Rayman](https://time.com/author/noah-rayman/)


![Noah Rayman](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blteac8cc11d1220abd/69868571361760f64290ae59/mg_3037.jpg?branch=production&width=96&quality=75&auto=webp)

## Noah Rayman


Feb 5, 2015 4:02 PM UTC

Lawmakers in California have moved to [end parents’ right to exempt](http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/04/us-usa-measles-california-idUSKBN0L82NR20150204) their children from school vaccinations based on personal beliefs.

The state senators said Thursday that they planned to introduce the legislation to make California the 33rd state to bar the exemption, _Reuters_ reports.

More than 100 people have [been infected with the measles](http://time.com/3692276/measles-numbers-cdc/) in a recent outbreak partially linked to Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, Calif. Most of those infected were unvaccinated.

“The high number of unvaccinated students is jeopardizing public health not only in schools but in the broader community,” state Senator Ben Allen said in a written statement. He is co-sponsoring the legislation along with fellow Democrat Richard Pan. “We need to take steps to keep our schools safe and our students healthy.”

\[[_Reuters_](http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/04/us-usa-measles-california-idUSKBN0L82NR20150204)\]

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