Measles outbreak: New law partly behind Laguna’s drop in vaccine exemptions

A new California law and the lingering effects of last year’s measles outbreak are likely behind the drop in personal belief vaccination waivers between 2013 and 2014 in the Laguna Beach Unified School District.

The rate of vaccine waivers due to a parent’s personal belief declined from 15.1% in 2013 to 2% in 2014 among kindergartners entering school in the fall, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis.

In fall 2014, 87.2% of kindergarters had been vaccinated for measles, mumps and rubella, compared with 79.5% the previous year, a Times analysis found. The definition of vaccination means the child has received two shots.

Personal exemption waivers allow a parent to cite personal beliefs to exempt a child from vaccination requirements. But a state law that went into effect last year made it more difficult to apply for waivers, requiring that a health care provider sign that the parent was counseled about the risks of forgoing vaccinations.

“More parents are making the decision to immunize after they’ve had the discussion with their medical provider,” said Irene White, director of special education and student services at Laguna Beach Unified.

Personal belief waivers are gaining renewed attention as the measles outbreak centered in California grows, with officials now confirming 78 measles cases in seven states and Mexico.

The California Department of Public Health said there are now 68 cases in the state – 48 that have been directly linked to Disneyland or Disney California Adventure last month. Orange County has been hardest hit, with 21 confirmed cases.

On Thursday, the Laguna Beach school district sent a letter to the parents who completed personal exemption waivers advising them of the highly contagious virus’ risks. The district pressed parents to vaccinate their children.

“All students without documented immunity will be excluded from their school should there be a measles exposure at your child’s school site,” the letter stated.

White was aware of one parent who had submitted proof of immunization Friday.

School staff also were asked Thursday to check their immunizations and were sent an advisory similar to that sent to parents.

District nurse Pam Majd said a measles outbreak last year led more parents to immunize their children. By April, more than 50 cases were reported in the state, including 22 in Orange County, according to California Department of Public Health

“We’ve seen families get immunized when the risk has gotten closer to us,” Majd said. “We’ve gotten a lot of calls this week from families concerned about unimmunized kids in the district.”

She said some parents also asked if she could sign their personal beliefs exemption form, but she referred them to their primary care doctors.

Measles symptoms include fever as high as 105, cough, runny nose, redness of eyes, and a rash that begins at the head and then spreads to the rest of the body. It can lead to inflammation of the brain, pneumonia and death.

Federal recommendations call for the first dose of measles vaccination, known as MMR, be given at 12 to 15 months of age, and a second dose at ages 4 to 6. California law requires two doses of measles vaccination before kindergartners can enroll, unless parents have filed a personal belief exemption.