State records show last year, 11,000 kindergarteners, that's 2.5 percent of the state's entire kindergarten enrollees, missed at least one vaccine with their parents claiming "personal belief conflict." That's California's highest rate of declined vaccines since 1978 before the requirement for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.
State health officials are emphasizing the importance of vaccines after a spike in whooping cough which killed 10 babies last year.
