More Doctors 'Fire' Vaccine Refusers

Wall Street Journal ^ | FEBRUARY 15, 2012 | SHIRLEY S. WANG

[FewsOrange]

Pediatricians fed up with parents who refuse to vaccinate their children out of concern it can cause autism or other problems increasingly are "firing" such families from their practices, raising questions about a doctor's responsibility to these patients.

Medical associations don't recommend such patient bans, but the practice appears to be growing, according to vaccine researchers.

In a study of Connecticut pediatricians published last year, some 30% of 133 doctors said they had asked a family to leave their practice for vaccine refusal, and a recent survey of 909 Midwestern pediatricians found that 21% reported discharging families for the same reason.

By comparison, in 2001 and 2006 about 6% of physicians said they "routinely" stopped working with families ...

Most pediatricians consider preventing disease through vaccines a primary goal of their job. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and AAP issue an annual recommended vaccination schedule, but some parents ask if their child's immunizations can be pushed back or skipped altogether, pediatricians say. While rates for several key inoculations in young children rose between 2009 and 2010, according to the CDC, lower immunization rates have been blamed as a factor in U.S. outbreaks of whooping cough and measles in recent years.

Parents often voice concerns about autism or that their child's immune system may be overwhelmed by too many vaccines at once. Worries about a link between vaccines and autism arose because some parents noticed their children regressed, or lost some skills, around the time of their vaccinations at two years of age. Another concern centered on the former use of mercury as a vaccine preservative.

Numerous studies since have dispelled these concerns among scientists. Rather, scientists say, it is more likely that autism symptoms begin showing up around the same age children are vaccinated.

[Toddsterpatriot]

Of those that do die, how many were vaccinated for the disease versus not vaccinated? Without this information a person cannot make a logical decision about the current benefits of each vaccine.

You never did show me this information. It sounded like you had it.

[WorldviewDad]

Of the 3030 deaths per year (3000 from influenza) the other 30 from all the rest, I was not able to find current numbers for those that were vaccinated versus not vaccinated. If I would try to quote numbers I remember seeing over a decade ago I would most likely mess up some of the numbers so I will not attempt it. But the bigger point is we are talking about 30 deaths a year (not counting influenza)...not something that should be causing “panic” in the doctor's waiting room that we might catch something that should have been vaccinated for. I did notice something while on the CDC site...they listed the different vaccines and there effectiveness...eight out of ten vaccinated people would be protected, nine out of ten vaccinated people would be protected, etc...vaccinations are one tool for good health but it is not 100% effective.

[slowhandluke]

What do I have? How about doctors with real data?

Vaccine Safety Conference Session 16

The other sessions in this series are also interesting.