Not in my office, some doctors tell unvaccinated patients

In the wake of the multistate measles outbreak that has infected more than 100 Americans, some doctors refuse to see children whose parents won’t have them vaccinated.

Measles is highly contagious, spreading through the air and in enclosed spaces. In rare cases, especially among babies, it can be fatal. If a pregnant woman contracts measles, it can cause birth defects, miscarriage, or premature birth.

Physicians fear children who cannot be vaccinated because of age or health complications, or who may be among the small minority whose vaccinations do not provide adequate protection, will be put at risk in their waiting rooms if exposed to a child with measles.

“Parents who choose not to give measles shots, they’re not just putting their kids at risk, but they’re also putting other kids at risk, especially kids in my waiting room,” said Charles Goodman, a Los Angeles pediatrician.

Some parents are outraged that a doctor would refuse to see their unvaccinated children. Although no scientific evidence has shown a link, parents who refuse to vaccinate their children often worry the vaccines might cause autism or other developmental disorders.

Others parents say they are uncomfortable taking their young children to a clinic that doesn’t have such a ban. Maggie Jacks, the 2-year-old daughter of Tim Jacks, an Arizona pediatrician, battles leukemia. Her measles vaccine no longer provides protection for her tiny system because of chemotherapy. Her 10-month-old brother cannot be vaccinated, either, because he is under the recommended age of 1. Jacks was frustrated when both of his children were exposed to measles through an unvaccinated child at a medical clinic. “I assume you love your child just like I love mine. I assume that you are trying to make good choices regarding their care. Please realize that your child does not live in a bubble. When your child gets sick, other children are exposed. My children,” Jacks wrote on Maggie’s online CaringBridge Journal.

The dilemma puts doctors in an ethical quandary. Are they abandoning the unvaccinated children, attempting to usurp the parents’ rights and perhaps forcing the parents to seek subpar care elsewhere? Or, are they protecting the health and lives of their other patients and making a clear statement that children should be vaccinated?

The guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics say doctors should bring up the importance of vaccinations during office visits. But, unless there is significant risk to a child, they should respect the parents’ wishes. If the doctor is no longer comfortable treating the patient, the guidelines allow termination of the physician-patient relationship. All states require children to be vaccinated before entering school, but 20 states allow parents to sign a waiver to opt out.

There is no doubt measles vaccines work. Widespread use of the vaccine has led to a greater than 99 percent reduction in measles cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC declared measles eliminated from the United States in 2000. In 2004, just 37 people in the U.S. had measles; by 2014 that number jumped to 644.

Even before the Disneyland outbreak, some doctors, like Nelson Branco in Marin County, California, were already turning away children whose parents wouldn’t vaccinate. Branco and his associates made that decision in 2012. Vaccines “can be spooky for parents,” Branco said. “In the end, we have the science. We have the experience that it’s the right thing to do.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.