California doctors want the state to require that day care-age children get vaccinated against pneumococcal disease.
More than a dozen doctor’s groups, including the California Medical Assn., are sending a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday urging him to mandate the vaccine to increase vaccination rates statewide, especially among minorities. They argue that it is especially urgent to vaccinate children now, before they catch seasonal or H1N1 flu, which puts them at added risk of catching pneumococcal disease.
“The California Department of Public Health can and should act today to require children to receive the pneumococcal disease vaccine and help ensure that all Californians are protected from this increasingly dangerous threat,” the doctors wrote.
The vaccine protects children against pneumococcal bacteria, which can lead to deafness, blindness and fatal meningitis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends it for children age 5 and under. Nationwide, 35 states already require the vaccine, including Florida, New York and Texas. Officials in six additional states are considering whether to require the vaccine.
State legislators passed a law two years ago that would have required the vaccines, but the governor vetoed it, saying he was satisfied with the statewide vaccination rate of 86%.
The vaccination rate has since decreased to 83%, according to the latest National Immunization Survey. The survey showed vaccination rates were even lower among children in Los Angeles County (80%) especially Latino children (75%).
The doctors’ groups argue the state would recoup the cost of subsidizing the vaccinations—$198,000 to implement the requirement and $360,000 for Medi-Cal costs—through reduced doctor and hospital visits.
Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, director of the county’s Department of Public Health, called the proposal “reasonable,” but cautioned that state officials should ensure there are adequate supplies of the latest pneumococcal vaccine before mandating them.
“Otherwise, it becomes a burden on parents,” Fielding said.
— Molly Hennessy-Fiske
Photo: L.A. Times file