Vaccination rates among kindergartners in California have improved, according to a recent study in the journal JAMA. The authors believe the progress might relate to three statewide initiatives.
The study found the rate of California kindergartners without up-to-date vaccinations dropped between 2013 and 2017 from almost 10% to less than 5%.
In the interim, California first restricted, then eliminated, the personal belief vaccine exemption for public schools, and launched education campaigns covering rules for conditionally admitting students who had not yet completed certain vaccinations.
Although they acknowledge the study's limitations, the authors associate the improvement with these statewide measures.
Arizona law allows personal belief exemptions for K-12 students, as well as medical exemptions, verified by a health care provider.
