(More can be found at www.avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org/sb-276.  Please share.)

This is the fourth and last email in a series answering questions A Voice for Choice Advocacy has gotten about SB276/SB714.  This email addresses “If my child has an titers for a disease or has had the disease and so has natural immunity, can they go to school in CA without further vaccination for that disease?”

A titer test is a laboratory blood test that checks for the presence of certain antibodies in the blood stream. It is often used to see if someone is immune to a certain virus, either from a previous vaccination or disease.  If you get a titer test be sure to get a qualitative (not qualitative test) so you can see numerically what the antibody levels are.  There are various services online that offer these tests, but be sure to check if they will run the tests on children because many do not.

SB277 and SB276/SB714 do not state anything about titers or if the child has had the disease.  If a child presents with blood work showing positive titers or has had the disease to a condition that is required to be vaccinated against by the CA school vaccine laws , it is up to the discretion of the MD/DO whether they feel this qualifies for a "medical exemption."  A daycare/preschool/school will not (at this time) allow laboratory test results to be brought into the school in lieu of a required vaccination.  This is something A Voice for Choice Advocacy is working with the legislature and CDPH on changing, so that titers or having had the disease will not require a Medical Exemption in the future, and can just be presented to the school.  (Note: California Universities do allow only the titers lab report, without a doctor’s note). 

Until we have been successful making that change, if your child has titers or has had the disease and you are trying to get a medical exemption in 2020 or beyond, please get in touch with us as we would like to follow these cases through the new system and even “test” the system to see if CDPH will accept them without question.

Recommendation: If you think your child is immune to a disease because of previous vaccination or having had the disease, have them titer tested.  If they show high antibody levels then ask your doctor if they will write a medical exemption for your child for those disease.  Assuming CDPH has not published any further details on this and AVFCA has not yet been successful in getting titers not requiring a Medical Exemption, and they will not give a Medical Exemption then email us with those details.  We will help you advocate for your titers being accepted.

Disclaimer:  These are A Voice for Choice Advocacy’s interpretations based on the SB276/714 wording (which is very circuitous) and current xxxxxxrmation on Shots for Schools (the CDPH website regarding CA vaccination requirements) with regard to how SB277 has been implemented.  There are some grey areas which are subject to interpretation and may change based on how CDPH implements it.  There is no regulatory process for this law so we are subject to CDPH’s whims.  They just released this question and answer document, which is very broad and does not give all the details: https://www.chhs.ca.gov/blog/2019/09/09/senate-bill-276-and-senate-bill-714-vaccinations-and-medical-exemptions-questions-and-answers/

If you found this xxxxxxrmation helpful and appreciate the work A Voice for Choice Advocacy is doing, please support us by making a donation today.

Thanks and Happy Holidays!

C

Christina Hildebrand

President/Founder

A Voice for Choice Advocacy, Inc.

www.avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org

408 835 9353

Giving issues a voice, A Voice for Choice Advocacy advocates for people’s rights to be fully xxxxxxrmed about the composition, quality, and short- and long-term health effects of all products that go into people’s bodies, such as food, water, air, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

WWW.AVOICEFORCHOICEADVOCACY.ORG

You are receiving this email because you signed up on the AVFC or AVFCA website or an in person sign up list or an AVFCA petition.  If you would like to be removed from receiving all emails, please reply to this email with “Unsubscribe” in the email subject line.  If you would prefer just to get Action Alerts, please reply to this email with “Action Alert Only” in the email subject line.