WON'T VACCINATE? NEXT PATIENT!

October 5, 2005

Wednesday, October 05, 2005 - FreeMarketNews.com

The recent activism on the part of parents, regarding the possible

dangers of childhood vaccinations, has had the expected effect on

licensed physicians - many of whom are now ready to " dismiss " families

who won't participate.

According to a study cited in a Fox News/WebMD article on Tuesday, 39

percent of childcare physicians would " dismiss " families refusing

vaccinations. What's more, the study showed that a full 28 percent

would " fire family that refused even ONE recommended vaccination. " The

study was based questionnaires to randomly selected members of the

American Academy of Pediatrics, and appears in the October issue of

Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

The stated intention on the part of healing physicians who swear to

" first do no harm, " should concern libertarians of all stripes,

according to several commentators. They point to the media reports of

(admittedly rare, yet horrific) side effects of some vaccines, as well

as the continued evidence of thimerosal and mercury additives.

Meanwhile, those defending the physicians' stance (including the WebMD

author of the article) assert that among those acting to stop

vaccinations, " fewer and fewer parents remember how awful

vaccine-preventable childhood diseases can be. " They note that

" Pediatricians … have learned to have a healthy respect for

vaccine-preventable diseases. Trained in public health, they believe

that the benefit of preventing these diseases and their complications

outweigh the risk of rare vaccine side effects. " The article quotes

the study's director as citing the " dismissal " threat as simply being

" one way pediatricians express their frustration with that situation. "

- ST

staff & nbspreports - Free-Market News Network

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