Pediatricians Push Back Against Rising Tide Of ‘Vaccination Hesitancy’
The American Academy of Pediatrics has released guidelines for doctors facing parents who are resistant to getting their children vaccinated. A new survey shows that 87 percent of pediatricians have encountered issues with a parent refusing to vaccinate his or her child.
Los Angeles Times:
Pediatricians Urge States To Get Tough On Parents Who Don’t Want To Vaccinate Their Kids
The nation’s pediatricians are pushing back against parents who resist having their children vaccinated against a broad range of dangerous diseases by calling on states to stop offering waivers to those with non-medical objections to the practice. In a policy statement issued Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics also said that if parents continue to refuse vaccinations despite exhaustive efforts to change their minds, it would be “acceptable” for doctors to exclude these families from their practices. (Healy, 8/29)
Sacramento Bee:
National Pediatric Report Backs California Vaccination Law
The American Academy of Pediatrics has urged state governments and pediatricians to take a firmer approach in forcing vaccine-hesitant parents to immunize their children.The policy statement released Monday suggests legislators prohibit nonmedical vaccine exemptions for children entering school and day care, as done by California’s Senate Bill 277, which took effect last month. California became one of three states to mandate vaccinations for all children entering public and private school and day care, with the exception of children with specific medical issues. (Caiola, 8/29)
KPCC:
Pediatricians' Group: End Religious, Philosophical Vaccine Exemptions
This year, California became just the third state to say that parents can not opt out of vaccinating their school-aged children for personal or religious reasons. Now the American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending that the rest of the country follow suit. Other medical groups have already adopted similar positions, but the Academy's policy statement is noteworthy because its 64,000 members work directly with parents as they make vaccination decisions for their infants, children and teenagers. (Plevin, 8/29)