Legislation sponsored by state Sen. Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) to protect small children from exposure to contagious, fatal diseases has passed the House and Senate.
Senate Bill 986 requires all day care workers who provide care to children under 7 to present proof of vaccines or immunity to measles, tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis.
“In the Cook County case, children who contracted the measles disease were all younger than 1 year old, meaning they were too young to get the vaccine that protects against measles, mumps and rubella,” Radogno said. “Measles is one of the most preventable illnesses. While the vast majority of our population is vaccinated, we need to protect those babies and toddlers who are too young to be immunized. A reasonable precaution would be to ensure that caregivers at child care facilities won’t pass on these highly contagious diseases.”
The bill has been sent to Gov. Bruce Rauner's desk to sign.
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