Some Pediatricians Turn Away Unvaccinated Children

Some physicians feel so strongly about vaccinations and are so weary of negotiating with parents worried about vaccine risks, they are closing their practice to patients who are not vaccinated, according to a trend story by Kaiser Health News.

One physician interviewed for the story, Dr. Harry Miller, a pediatrician with Four Seasons Pediatrics in Clifton Park, N.Y., estimates about 0.5 percent of his patient families have left the practice thanks to his new, stringent policy on vaccines.

The AAP recommends that physicians keep non-compliant families in their practice and use their considerable leverage to better educate parents on the facts and risks about vaccines. Of course, pediatricians are well-advised to keep records on vaccine-related conversations and to document parental refusal.

 Would you turn away non-compliant families? If not, what tactics do you use to better educate parents and win their compliance with vaccine guidelines?