CA lawmakers push measles vaccination bill

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ByAmy Hollyfield KGO logo
Friday, February 13, 2015
measles vaccination
FILE PHOTO: Measles vaccination. (KGO-TV)
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SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Three California lawmakers are pushing to require all children in Head Start programs nationwide to get vaccinated against measles.

The effort by Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein comes after the recent measles outbreak that infected more than 100 people.

At Bishop Ranch Pediatrics in San Ramon, doctors say it might be time to consider vaccinating even earlier, starting with nine-month old babies. Although, that would mean more shots.

"If we do it give it at nine months, we have to give it again at 15 months and then again at 4 to 6 years," explained pediatrician Alice Brock-Utne with Bishop Ranch Pediatrics.

Their office staff is now calling parents who don't want to vaccinate and asking them to reconsider.

VIDEO: Why measles is the most contagious of all viruses

Meanwhile, vaccination rates at some Silicon Valley companies' day care centers and preschools are on the low side.

Wired looked at more than 20 major Bay Area tech and health companies and found more than half were under the state's vaccination rate of 90 percent.

At Pixar, Cisco, Google and IBM, the vaccination rate for kindergarteners and pre-schoolers is between 43 and 70 percent.

For detailed information from the CDC on measles, click here.

And click here for full coverage on the measles outbreak.