To Vaccinate or Not To Vaccinate and Be Fired

Is it okay for a doctor to "fire" a patient because they choose not to have their child vaccinated?  My answer is yes and no.  I know that seems like a wishy washy answer but it's not.  I think that if a parent is choosing not to vaccinate their child because of their fears about possible side effects, that a doctor has a right to choose to suggest that they need to find a different doctor who shares their views on this topic.  The doctor may believe that it may present a risk to their other patients of exposure to unwanted diseases and that risk is not worth having them as a patient.  The most important thing that I have learned from having a child with a disease is that it is important to trust your doctor because you are basicly entrusting them with your child's health and well-being.  If you have such fundamental differences with a doctor, I ask you why would you want to keep going to them? 

If a parent's decision not to vaccinate is based on a health issue, I do not believe that a doctor should "fire" a patient for their choice.  Whether it is a reaction that their child has had to a previous vaccination. or a GI or allegy problem that has the parent concern, this needs to be discussed with the doctor.  There may be options that the doctor has, to make it safier for the child.

Update on the study that got this debate going in the first place.  There has been no link made between vaccinations and Autism.  The research study that linked these two was found to be falsified and the doctor who conducted the study has lost his license.  Didn't see that splashed all over the news, did you.  This is not to say that there are no risks associated with vaccinating your child, but the American Pediatric Association believes that the benefits far exceed any risks.

If you choose not to have your child vaccinated, I want to let you in on a little secret.  Whenever there is an outbreak in a school, the children that have not been vaccinated will be sent home from school for the duration of the outbreak to ensure that the outbreak doesn't spiral out of control.