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Physician Dismissal of Families Who Refuse Vaccination: An Ethical Assessment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2021

Douglas S. Diekema
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Extract

Childhood vaccination has made an important contribution to the health of children, preventing millions of deaths worldwide each year,1 yet thousands of U.S. parents choose to refuse or delay the administration of selected vaccines to their children. Some choose not to vaccinate their children at all. This can be frustrating for physicians, especially for those who have personally witnessed the positive impact of vaccines on child health during their lifetime. While most physicians continue to care for these families over time, using each visit as an opportunity to educate and encourage vaccination, an increasing number of physicians report dismissing these families from their practice unless they agree to vaccinate their children. This paper will examine this emerging trend along with the reasons given by those who advocate such an approach. I will argue that the strategy of refusing to allow families into a clinic unless they agree to vaccinate their children is misguided, and the arguments for adopting such a policy fail to stand up to close scrutiny.

Type
Independent
Information
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , Volume 43 , Issue 3 , Autumn 2015 , pp. 654 - 660
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics 2015

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