The Infant Toddler Center of California's Santa Monica High School announced on Sunday that it will not allow students who have not been vaccinated against measles to enter school premises, according to SMN Weekly.
Officials from the daycare center said that parents of students must provide proof such as the results of blood tests to show that their children have been vaccinated.
The precautionary move by the daycare center came days after the facility was forced to close down on Monday for four days due to one of its students contracting the disease.
In response to the incident, California's Department of Public Health contacted the parents of the student's classmates to inform them about a possible outbreak in the daycare center. A total of 14 students aged 12 months and below were placed under a 21-day quarantine program as ordered by the state department.
In order to prevent the measles outbreak from hitting the center, school officials decided to not allow kids to attend school if they are unvaccinated.
Before the center reopened, parents of the students were emailed by the school instructing them to have their children tested for the disease. They were also asked to show proof that their kids already received the vaccine.
Most of the students at the center have already received the vaccine. However, there are still some who have not due to their parents' personal beliefs. But due to the possibility of spreading the infection, a number of parents have decided to get their children vaccinated.
"I'm a pretty progressive thinker," parent Jill Sharaf told NBC Los Angeles. "I'd love to not immunize my daughters. [But] we have a responsibility to the people around us."
Recently, two senators from California submitted a bill aiming to end vaccine exemptions in the state, Reuters reported. If passed, the bill drafted by Senators Bill Allen and Richard Pan will take away parents' rights to refuse vaccinations for their children.
According to the two, their proposed bill will ensure the safety of children in California.
"The high number of unvaccinated students is jeopardizing public health not only in schools but in the broader community," Allen said in a statement. "We need to take steps to keep our schools safe and our students' health."
