Why I support California SB 277

I'm not one to do controversial or push my views and beliefs on anyone, but being a Californian, a mother, an Early Childhood Education student and teacher, and a pro-vaccine woman, I feel like sharing my heart today. (Plus, this IS my blog and I do what I want here ;)

Senate Bill 277 or "SB-277"  is the public health initiative enforcing vaccines to be up to date on any/ every child before being able to be enrolled in any school in California.  It would  "eliminate the exemption from existing specified immunization requirements based upon personal beliefs" (from SB-277 public health: vaccinations, online) and is causing quite the stir in vaccine by choice circles. 

Before I even had my babies, I was going to school as an ECE student to become a Preschool teacher.  One of my required courses was a Health and Safety class and we covered vaccinations.  Now, my feelings prior to that class and before having children was very different from how I feel now, as in, the exact opposite.  Well, the pictures I saw in that class have stuck with me to this day.  Children walking on their hands, their bodies ravaged by Polio.  Children covered head to toe with a red rash from the Mumps and Measles. Gah.  It makes me want to cry just thinking about it.  And that's when my opinion about vaccinations changed.  Why would you deny your children good health?  Why would you let diseases that were nearly eradicated (this is you, Whopping Cough) come back?  Why would you knowingly put other children at risk?  

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I have taught Preschool since 2006.  I have cared for dozens of children every year since then.  I do not know how many of those children were vaccinated or not, but I do know I had a couple come down with Whopping Cough the year it hit California hard (2009) and was so confused because I hadn't even heard of Pertussis prior to that.   

Come 2011, I and my newborn daughter were given the Pertussis vaccine at discharge and I in turn had both sides of our families vaccinated. I was not going to play around with a disease if the baby I grew in my womb, labored for 12 hours with and pushed out of my vagina needed to be protected against it within 2 days of her entering the world.  Brielana also received the vaccine at 2 days old.  

Both of my daughters are also up to date on their vaccines. I stick to the vaccination schedule but 3 shots is the most I do in one visit because more than that seems mean. I did push back the age of when Kinsey received her first MMR vaccine (from 18 months to 2 years old) with her Doctor's consent. But with Brielana there was that scary outbreak of Measles at Disneyland (which actually postponed a trip there in February because at the time Brielana was not yet old enough to receive the MMR shot) she got hers at 18 months. 

I take health seriously, especially when it comes to my babies.  I am their advocate.  I am charged with caring for their every need.    

I am for SB 277.

Linking up with Beth.