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Gary Monahan remembers his son’s temperature spiking to 102 degrees when he was vaccinated for measles, mumps and rubella. The child then landed in the hospital with what appeared to be whooping cough after his next round of vaccinations.

Students attend classes at Huntington Beach High School after being warned that one person on campus was diagnosed with measles earlier this month. (Credit: Los Angeles Times)
Students attend classes at Huntington Beach High School after being warned that one person on campus was diagnosed with measles earlier this month. (Credit: Los Angeles Times)

By the time the child was 3 1/2 , he was diagnosed with autism, Monahan said.

The experience reshaped Monahan’s approach to raising his children. Now, the Costa Mesa city councilman, who is the father of six, has skipped vaccinations for his last four children.

Even the specter of the current measles outbreak, which spread rapidly from Disneyland after an exposure during the holidays, has not given Monahan pause.

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