7.1 Percent Of Marin Parents Refuse To Inoculate Their Children

When a Larkspur woman’s healthy two-year-old heads off to pre-school she’ll do so without any vaccinations, a decision that has been viewed as controversial by many parents and health officials.

“I decided that I did not want to vaccinate her,” Sondra Kleghorn said. “I believe that vaccinations can cause more harm than good.”

Kleghorn said she doesn't talk about her decision with many people because like religion and politics, it's personal and controversial.

Kleghorn is just one of many Marin residents who have said no to vaccines for their children.

According to the Marin County Health Department, two percent of parents in California opted out of having their children vaccinated.

In the higher-educated and affluent Marin County, the rate is 7.1 percent -- by far the highest rate in the Bay Area and one of the highest in the state.

Doctor Andrew Kaiser of Corte Madera is a father of two and said Kleghorn’s decision puts his children at risk.

Even though his children are vaccinated, the more people who aren't increases the chance of an epidemic, Kaiser said.

“At their school for example, there are a lot of people that don't get vaccinated,” Kaiser said. “i think it's a real problem -- just a lack of knowledge.”

Dr. Jason Eberhart-Phillips, a Marin County Public Health officer, said the statistic is a badge of shame.

Phillips said the impact of those numbers show local immunizations from whooping cough was evident during last year's nationwide whooping cough epidemic.

Forty percent of those cases were in California.

“In Marin County because we have so many non-believers in vaccines, we had the second highest rate in the state in terms of numbers of case – 49,” Phillips said. “We fortunately didn't have any deaths, but we had three hospitalizations.”

Parents who decide not vaccinate their children simply have to sign a form, but there is a new push to require parents talk to a medical professional first before opting out.

“It's basically adding a step, but not taking away a parents' right,” said Catherine Martin with the California Immunization Coalition

Catherine Martin said requiring that would help curb troubling trend among parents -- exemption by convenience.

“It's more convenient to sign the exemption than to go get the shots,” Martin said.

Out of the 20 states where people can skip immunizations for personal beliefs, California is one of the easiest.

In some states, instead of signing the back of the school immunization record form, parents have to draft their own letter and even have it notarized.

Chiropractor Don Hart, who vehemently opposes vaccinations, is against requiring parents do more to opt out.

“The medical establishment tried to force people to have their kids take their holy water -- the vaccines,” Hart said.

But Dr. Randy Bergen, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Kaiser Walnut Creek, disagrees.

“We need to do everything we can as a medical community to make sure we have informed the parents as well as we possibly can of, in my opinion, the poor choice they're making,” Bergen said.

Making any choice is exactly what Kleghorn said parents should be able to do.

Deep in your heart you need to feel safe, and whatever makes you feel safe, that's what you're going to do.