Mandatory Whooping Cough Vaccine/Waiver: Readers Respond

The deadline for students entering seventh to twelfth grade in California to get the mandatory whooping cough vaccine or turn in a signed waiver to their is July 1.

The mandate follows an outbreak of whooping cough--also called pertussis--which in some cases can lead to death.

San Marino students who do not wish to get the vaccine must obtain, sign and turn in a waiver to the saying they understand that if they do not get the vaccine they will need to miss school for their protection in the event of a whooping cough outbreak.

Readers have responded favorably so far to the vaccine/waiver mandate in our facebook poll in which we asked:

"How do you feel about the whooping cough vaccine required for California students unless they sign a waiver saying they must miss school in the event of an outbreak?"

Readers can respond to the question by voting for one of three of the following options or they can write in their own option. This is how readers have voted so far:

• Option 1: (3 votes) The vaccine is a good thing. I wouldn't want the outbreak to spread.
• Option 2: (0 votes) If it were my child, I'd choose to sign the waiver and avoid the vaccination.
• Option 3: (0 votes) I think a vaccine or waiver shouldn't be mandatory.

Additional facebook poll comment from one of the voters: "I love herd immunity!"

To vote in our facebook poll about the whooping cough vaccine/waiver mandate, click here.

In contrast, a reader who referred to herself as Misty Johnson wrote the following comment about the vaccine/waiver mandate on the most recent San Marino Patch article about the topic:

"Unfortunately you don't know what is hidden in the vaccine, most manufactures [sic] put harmful even deadly preservatives in vaccines, just like they hid the swine flu vaccine in this years regular flu vaccine. Mercury, thimerasol, squib, squalene are all preservatives and very dangerous. Besides the fact that I thought California was a right to choose state, why can they make this mandatory. Listen to the ads on the radio, they say it is mandatory and don't mention a waiver that you can sign."

How do you feel about the mandatory whooping cough vaccine or signed waiver?