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Maple Ridge mom starts petition calling for mandatory vaccinations in B.C. schools

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Online petition calls for mandatory vaccinations in schools
WATCH: Online petition calls for mandatory vaccinations in schools – Feb 14, 2019

A Maple Ridge mom says if parents won’t vaccinate their kids then their children shouldn’t be allowed to attend B.C.’s public schools.

Katie Clunn launched a petition this past weekend calling for Victoria to deal with the problem of vaccine refusal, and she’s already got several thousand signatures.

“The petition is calling for mandatory vaccines for enrollment in a public school, it’s not taking anyone’s rights away,” Clunn told Global News on Thursday.

“If you’re not going to vaccinate, you need to home school.”

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WATCH: (Aired: Sept. 14, 2018) Another measles warning in Metro Vancouver

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Another measles warning in Metro Vancouver

Clunn said the current measles outbreak in Washington state is an example of what happens when the anti-vaccination movement gathers enough momentum over time.

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Washington has one of lowest vaccination rates in the United States due to the high prevalence of anti-vaccine belief in the region and the current measles outbreak has now forced Governor Jay Inslee to declare a state of emergency.

READ MORE: Health officials confirm measles case in Vancouver area

“I think their intentions are to protect their children, which is what we’are all doing” said Clunn of people who refuse to vaccinate their children.

“But there’s so much space junk on the internet that you can’t make out what’s true and false. And fear I think has a lot to do with it.”

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