When Berkeley public school students return to the classroom on August 29, kids going into kindergarten and the 7th grade will be required to show proof of various vaccinations. The same is true for students at private schools. While school officials use phrases like "no shots, no school" to underscore the message, the reality is not so strict.
Parents or guardians can obtain an exemption from vaccination requirements for medical reasons or personal beliefs. To get a personal belief exemption (PBE) all a parent needs to do is sign an affadavit in front of a school secretary. Last year, 38 children entered kindergarten in Berkeley’s public and private schools with a personal belief exemption on file.
In Berkeley, private schools tend to have a higher rate to PBEs. With less than a quarter of kindergarten enrollment, Berkeley's private schools account for 50 percent of the PBEs, according to the California Department of Public Health. It's not in Berkeley, but the East Bay Waldorf School in El Sobrante has one of the highest PBE rates in the state with 68 percent.
A bill in the state legislature aims to make it tougher for parents to get a PBE by requiring an additional signature from a doctor or medical professional. Opponents of the proposed legislation argue that doctors tend to be dismissive of parental qualms about vaccinations. Some public health professionals note that the risk of not vaccinating a child is only acceptable when the vast majority of children are vaccinated and diseases like whooping cough are relatively rare.
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School Kindergarten Enrollment Medical Exemption %Medical Exemption Personal Belief Exemptions %PBE Public Schools Berkeley Arts Magnet 63 0 0 2 3% Cragmont 62 0 0 2 3% Emerson 41 3 7% 0 0 Jefferson 60 0 0 0 0 John Muir 63 1 2% 2 3% Le Conte 58 0 0 1 2% Malcolm X 77 0 0 4 5% Oxford 62 1 2% 2 3% Rosa Parks 64 0 0 5 8% Thousand Oaks 60 0 0 1 2% Washington 84 0 0 0 0 Private Schools American International Montesorri 12 0 0 1 8% Berkwood Hedge 20 0 0 3 15% Black Pine Circle 22 0 0 1 5% Ecole Bilingue De Berkeley 75 0 0 8 11% Montesorri Family School 13 0 0 3 23% School of the Madeleine 31 0 0 1 3% The Berkeley School 27 0 0 0 0 Walden Center and School 13 0 0 2 15% Berkeley Total 907 5 0.5% 38 4.2% California Total 529,400 0.16%2.39% Source: California Department of Public Health
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