California aims to crack down on medical vaccine exemptions

Lawmakers are reviewing legislation to tighten vaccination exemptions amid a national surge in measles cases, reports USA Today.

Three things to know:

1. The bill would allow state health officials to investigate physicians who approve five or more medical exemptions annually, along with schools with less than a 95 percent vaccination rate.

2. The legislation comes after the state saw a spike in medical exemptions after California eliminated religious exemptions in 2015. The bill seeks to improve school vaccination rates by identifying physicians who are uninhibitedly handing out medical exemptions.

3. The bill's supporters say it will help protect Californians' health and prevent future disease outbreaks. However, opponents argue the bill could threaten patient-provider relationships and dissuade physicians from writing legitimate medical exemptions.

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