Lawmaker Against California Vaccine Bill SB277 Makes Comparison To Internment Camps
SACRAMENTO (CBS SF) -- A Central Valley assemblyman blasted a controversial vaccine bill, saying unvaccinated children who would be forced to be home-schooled might feel like they're in "internment camps."
Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) made the comments at a rally against SB 277 in front of the State Capitol on Tuesday, as the Assembly Health Committee considered the bill.
The group at the rally opposes the measure, which would remove the "personal belief" exemption from public school vaccination requirements and would limit vaccine waivers to children who have health problems.
Patterson later said his remarks were a "bad choice of words," but went on to say it's not fair to segregate children who aren't ill.
The State Senate passed SB277 last month.
Earlier this year, vaccination critic Robert Kennedy Jr. slammed SB 277 during an appearance in Sacramento and made comparisons to The Holocaust.
"They get the shot, that night they have a fever of a hundred and three, they go to sleep, and three months later their brain is gone," Kennedy reportedly said to an audience in April. "This is a holocaust, what this is doing to our country."
Kennedy later apologized for his comments.