An American Academy of Pediatrics report found physicians can 'fire' families who do not vaccinate their children, according to WebMD.
Here are five key takeaways:
1. The report says dismissing such families must be a last resort.
2. If physicians are left without any viable options, they can dismiss families if they do it thoughtfully and professionally while also ensuring the family has other medical care options.
3. This policy is new as the former policy advised against firing families. However, the spike of vaccine refusal spurred the policy change.
4. The report authors say pediatricians may be the only source of vaccination education, and therefore they have a duty to discuss the science behind the vaccinations as well as the testing the vaccines undergo.
5. The AAP also calls for an end to non-medical exemptions for vaccines, arguing the exemptions are "inappropriate for individual, public health and ethical reasons."
More articles on quality & infection control:
The Joint Commission reports 47 patient falls, 52 unintended retained foreign objects in 2016 — 10 statistics on sentinel events
The Jackson Laboratory & bioMérieux team up to create precision diagnostics for infectious diseases: 4 points
A conflict of interest? Mylan executive under fire for 400% EpiPen price hike
