State lawmakers in California introduced legislation Wednesday that would require children to be fully vaccinated before going to school, a response to a measles outbreak that started in Southern California and has reached 107 cases in 14 states. California is one of 19 states that allows parents to enroll their children in school unvaccinated through a "personal belief exemption" to public health laws. The outbreak of measles that began in December in Anaheim's Disneyland amusement park has spread more quickly in communities where many parents claim the exemption. State Sens. Dr. Richard Pan and Ben Allen have proposed eliminating the personal belief exemption altogether in California.
