Mandatory school vaccinations continue to stir debate across the country.

Now, a California Senate committee has approved a bill that would require schoolchildren to be vaccinated.

The Senate Education Committee voted 7-2 Wednesday on the bill by Sen. Richard Pan, a Democratic pediatrician from Sacramento, with votes from both Democrats and Republicans.

The proposal would eliminate California's personal-belief and religious exemptions so unvaccinated children would not be able to attend public or private schools.

Medical waivers would only be available for children who have health problems.

Lawmakers delayed a vote on the bill last week after some on the committee worried it would deprive unvaccinated children from receiving an adequate education. Hundreds of opponents again filled the committee room for Wednesday's vote.

CDC eyeing Bird flu vaccine for humans

Federal officials said Wednesday they're taking steps to create a human vaccine for the bird flu virus that's slammed the Midwest poultry industry, though they still consider the danger to be low and the food supply not at risk.

Dr. Alicia Fry, an influenza expert with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said officials are hopeful there won't be any human cases of the H5N2 strain - which has cost chicken and turkey producers more than 7 million birds since early March - but the country must be prepared.

"We're really at the beginning of this and so are monitoring very closely. And we're cautiously optimistic that we will not see any human cases," Fry said on a conference call.

Most humans who have come down with other bird flu viruses had close, prolonged contact with infected birds, Fry said, so officials are monitoring at least 100 farm workers who've been exposed to affected flocks. She said signs could be flu-like symptoms or conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye.

It's standard CDC procedure with all new flu viruses to begin looking at creating a human vaccine, Fry said. She said they're preparing a seed strain, essentially a pure sample of the right viruses that could be the foundation for a vaccine.

"We haven't gotten further than that at this point because we don't have a need to go further than that," she said.