LOCAL STUDENTS WHO DON'T
HAVE THE MMR VACCINE ARE BEING
FORCED TO STAY HOME BECAUSE OF A
NEW STATE LAW TO PREVENT MEASLES
OUTBREAKS.
KIRO 7 LEARNED SOME SCHOOL
DISTRICTS ARE VIOLATING THE LAW
AND SOME FAMILIES MIGHT BE USING
A LOOPHOLE TO GET AROUND IT.
TWO MEASLES OUTBREAKS, FIRST
IN CLARK COUNTY.
IT'S A PROBLEM THAT'S REALLY
GROWING.
Reporter: THEN KING COUNTY.
AND BEYOND, SENDING WASHINGTON
INTO A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
A TOTAL OF 86 PEOPLE GOT SICK,
MOST OF THEM NOT VACCINATED.
IT SPURRED THE WASHINGTON STATE
LEGISLATURE TO VOTE AND CHANGE
THE LAW.
GETTING RID OF THE PERSONAL
EXEMPTION FOR THE MEASLES,
MUMPS, AND RUBELLA OR MMR
VACCINE.
WHEN SCHOOL STARTED, THE
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH SAYS FAMILIES WITH KIDS
THAT WEREN'T UP TO SPEED HAD 30
DAYS TO FIGURE IT OUT.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT
TURNED IN BY THE END OF YOUR
CONDITIONAL PERIOD, YOU CAN BE
EXCLUDED FROM SCHOOL OR
CHILDCARE.
Reporter: KIRO 7 CHECKED
WITH OVER 20 SCHOOLS AND FOUND
THEY VARY WIDELY WHEN IT COMES
TO FOLLOWING THE NEW LAW.
IN TACOMA SCHOOL DISTRICT, 161
STUDENTS DIDN'T HAVE THE VACCINE
OR A LEGAL EXEMPTION.
IT'S ALREADY EXCLUDING SOME
STUDENTS FROM CLASS.
OTHERS LIKE THIS QUA SCHOOL
DISTRICT TELL ME IT STARTED
SENDING WARNING LETTERS HOME.
IF WE HAVE TO EXCLUDE
STUDENTS, WHICH WE WILL IF WE
HAVE TO, THE METHOD IS WE DO
SEND A HAND CERTIFIED LETTER
HOME.
Reporter: DISTRICTS LIKE
SEATTLE WON'T START EXCLUDING
STUDENTS UNTIL JANUARY.
I ASKED THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH ABOUT ALL THESE
INCONSISTENCIES.
DOES THAT TECHNICALLY MEAN
THEY'RE VIOLATING THE LAW?
WE KNOW SCHOOLS HAVE A LOT
OF PRESSURES SO WE UNDERSTAND
THEY MAY BE IN TIME CRUNCHES.
THE CONDITIONAL STATUS PERIOD IS
30 DAYS.
Reporter: FAMILIES ARE
TURNING TO OTHER OPTIONS TO GET
THE MMR VACCINE EXEMPTION.
HERE'S A LOOK AT THE NEW FORM
FOR PERSONAL AND RELIGIOUS
VACCINE EXEMPTIONS.
NOW YOU CAN ONLY OPT OUT OF THE
MMR VACCINE BY CHECKING THE
RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION BOX.
WE DID FIND WE HAD AN
INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF
RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS, ABOUT FOUR
TIMES WE DID LAST YEAR.
WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT AS A
LOOPHOLE?
I THINK THE STATE HAS MADE
ITS DECISION ABOUT HOW TO --
WHAT THE LAW WILL BE AND WE'RE
SIMPLY FOLLOWING THE LAW.
Reporter: IT HAS PARENTS
WONDERING THE SAME THING.
IT IS CONCERNING.
THEY PROBABLY ARE.
PEOPLE LOVE A LOOPHOLE.
IS THERE ANY WAY TO VERIFY A
STUDENT'S RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION IS
TRUE?
THE STATE DOES NOT REQUIRE
THE PROVIDERS OR SCHOOLS VERIFY
THE STUDENT'S RELIGIOUS.
Reporter: THE DOH SAYS THE
EXEMPTION REQUIRES A PHYSICIAN'S
SIGNATURE.
THE SIGNATURE SHOWS THE
PROVIDER DISCUSSED THE RISKS AND
BENEFITS OF VACCINING WITH THE
FAMILY.
Reporter: THE UPTICK IN
RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS HAS SOME
PARENTS SAYING WASHINGTON SHOULD
FOLLOW CALIFORNIA AND GET RID OF
THE RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION TOO.
WOULD YOU BE OKAY WITH THAT?
I WOULD BECAUSE SCIENCE
SHOWS VACCINES ARE SAFE.
OTHER THAN THAT, THE PEOPLE WHO
CAN'T GET VACCINES SHOULDN'T
HAVE TO AND THEY SHOULD BE
PROTECTED BY THE HERD IMMUNITY.
Reporter: THE STATE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SAYS OVER
THE PAST FEW YEARS THEY HAVE
SEEN MORE STUDENTS OPTING OUT.
IT IS CONCERNING TO SEE
HIGHER EXEMPTION RATES.
Reporter: IN FACT, MY
INVESTIGATION FROM MARCH FOUND
THESE HOTSPOTS AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
ACROSS THE STATE.
INCLUDING 40% OF STUDENTS EXEMPT
FROM THE MMR VACCINE AT SKAGIT
ACADEMY IN MOUNT VERNON.
AND 24% OF STUDENTS AT EDMONDS
HEIGHTS K THROUGH 12.
HOW'S WASHINGTON DOING AS
FAR AS GETTING VAXNITED?
WE'RE NOT WHERE WE WOULD
LIKE TO BE ON OUR RATES.
WE WOULD HOPE THAT MORE AND
