L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer says kindergartens must report numbers of vaccinated students

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, along with the L.A. County Department of Public Health, announced Thursday schools with kindergartens that have a history of not reporting the number of vaccinated students are now on notice -- do so or face possible legal action.

Feuer says letters have just been sent out to 17 private schools.

The announcement came as California residents lined up at a hearing of the Assembly Health Committee to weigh in on a state vaccination measure.

Parent after parent lined up at a state assembly hearing in Sacramento to say what they think about proposed changes to California vaccination legislation SB 276.

The California bill is aimed at stopping some doctors from selling immunization exemptions, which supporters of the bill say has become a problem since California banned non-medical exemptions in 2016.

New figures show the rate of kindergartners with permanent medical exemptions has quadrupled since then.

"I understand people who choose not to vaccinate their children believe they're doing what is right for their children, but what they feel is right for their kids puts my child in mortal jeopardy every day," one mother said.

This mother said her daughter underwent a heart transplant to save her life. She enjoys going to school but is unable to be vaccinated due to her medical history and counts on everyone around her to be immunized. She supports SB 276.

Health officials would scrutinize doctors who write five or more exemptions each year and schools with a vaccination rate below 95%.

"It's a social responsibility that we all share to assure that no child needlessly contracts a preventable disease," Feuer said.

In L.A., the city attorney announced stepped-up measures to get schools with kindergartens that have a history of not submitting mandatory vaccination reports to do so or face possible legal consequences.

"We will take legal action in the event that schools fail to comply with this mandate," Feuer said.

The city attorney said legal action could include seeking an injunction and other remedies such as penalties.