Politics & Government

Governor Grants Emergency Grace Period for Student Whooping Cough Vaccinations

Starting July 1, new state law required students between seventh and 12th grades to have Tdap or pertussis immunizations in order to attend school, but a grace period signed Tuesday will give students and their families a bit more time.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a San Diego lawmaker's bill Tuesday giving California schoolchildren a 30-day grace period to get up-to-date with their whooping cough vaccinations.

Beginning July 1, students entering grades 7-12 in California are required to prove they are fully immunized against the illness, also known as pertussis.

The emergency legislation authored by Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego, allows schools to conditionally enroll students for up to 30 days while their vaccination records are analyzed.

Find out what's happening in Imperial Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"This new law helps to get more young people vaccinated and gives school districts time to put together an immunization plan at their campuses," Kehoe said.

The spread of the disease hit San Diego County particularly hard last
year, with more than 1,000 cases reported to county health officials, doubling the previous record. Two infants died.

Find out what's happening in Imperial Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Whooping cough can be prevented, or its effects limited, with a Tdap shot that also protects against tetanus and diphtheria.

Earlier this month, Kehoe said some school districts had proof of
immunization for only five percent of their middle and high school students as of late June, citing figures from the California Association of School Business Officials.

City News Service contributed to this report.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here