Doctors can refuse to treat your non vaccinated children!!

[Lori]

Doctors can refuse to treat your non vaccinated children!!

[BC-momla]

This has been commonplace around here for a while. Doctors can refuse to treat anyone for pretty much any reason (except race, etc) as long as they give them plenty of written notice and continue to treat them for emergencies during that time (30 days usually).

[eClaire]

We have experienced this first hand. And they were extremely rude about it too. I wonder if they think that I am not losing sleep over this vax issue almost every single night of my life? I'd love for them to walk a day in my shoes.

[eClaire]

Also, (really, not trying to be snarky here) can someone explain to me how, according to the article, one of the biggest concerns is children who are not vaccinated against pertussis/whooping cough being in the same waiting room as infants under 2 months, yet they allow adults who are not vaccinated against pertussis in waiting rooms with no problems? Like me? I mean, I had the pertussis vaccine almost 40 years ago, but I'm pretty sure I have no immunity left, and since I have an active autoimmune disease I won't be getting another.

I certainly do not take this lightly, I can see both sides, but I wonder if most adults realize they are walking around virtually unprotected against whooping cough?

[BC-momla]

Because an adult who isn't protected isn't necessarily ill and if they are ill they are often not in the same waiting area as infants under dtap age unless it happens to be a family practice office. Also adults can take precautions to not spew on other people. Having a child in your waiting area coughing and sneezing all over the place with infants present who are there for a nonsick visit is dangerous. Not to mention they contaminate the exam rooms, stethoscopes, etc. I'm not defending firing patients who don't immunize their kids but that is why they made that statement that you were asking about.

[eClaire]

Originally Posted by BC-momla

Because an adult who isn't protected isn't necessarily ill and if they are ill they are often not in the same waiting area as infants under dtap age unless it happens to be a family practice office. Also adults can take precautions to not spew on other people. Having a child in your waiting area coughing and sneezing all over the place with infants present who are there for a nonsick visit is dangerous. Not to mention they contaminate the exam rooms, stethoscopes, etc.

Thank you for answering my question. I agree that I do a better job covering my cough/sneeze than my 2 or 3 year old, but then again, in all of the pediatrician waiting areas I've been in, my 2 or 3 year olds are playing in the toy area, while I am sitting with the other parents who are holding their newborns. My possibly-contagious children have much less contact with infants and parents than I do. Also, I am touching as many, if not more door knobs, chair arms and exam tables than my kids, and "contaminated stethoscopes" is probably a whole other post. Really, I'm not trying to be obnoxious here, I just get frustrated that the argument about unvaccinated kids in waiting rooms is not completely logical.

[molliea]

No it is not completely logical - but aren't you glad that other kids are vacinated and put your kids at less risk for getting disesases like measels which cause infertility for life? And all the other things?

I honestly don't care if non vacinated kids sit in waiting rooms with my child because my child has his shots and is protected!

But if you don't like what drs say, switch to another dr!

[molliea]

meant to say mumps!

[BC-CathyNY]

Originally Posted by eClaire

I agree that I do a better job covering my cough/sneeze than my 2 or 3 year old, but then again, in all of the pediatrician waiting areas I've been in, my 2 or 3 year olds are playing in the toy area, while I am sitting with the other parents who are holding their newborns. My possibly-contagious children have much less contact with infants and parents than I do. Also, I am touching as many, if not more door knobs, chair arms and exam tables than my kids, and "contaminated stethoscopes" is probably a whole other post. Really, I'm not trying to be obnoxious here, I just get frustrated that the argument about unvaccinated kids in waiting rooms is not completely logical.

Nah, I'm with Carla on this one.

I think covering up your cough or sneeze is a pretty big component to not spreading germs. I think sick kids are 'way more likely to have germs on their hands--and remember they are touching the toys and books the other kids play with in the toy area. In my son's class, the teachers and aides are pretty darn scrupulous about hand-washing (much more than the teachers in the mainstream classes can be, I'm sure) and we still find that any virus one kid has gets around to the others very quickly. And these are autistic kids, they each work in their own cubicles and they're not exactly kissing and hugging or playing with each other's stuff all day long. Most of the germs on your kids' hands are spreading around before the child even shows any symptoms.

Kids are germy.

[eClaire]

Originally Posted by molliea

No it is not completely logical - but aren't you glad that other kids are vacinated and put your kids at less risk for getting disesases like measels which cause infertility for life? And all the other things?

Nice. I would expect this on another board but not here. Not here.