Unvaccinated kids shouldn’t be ostracized. There are other ways.

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s time as Health and Human Services Secretary and the recent measles outbreak have put pediatric vaccinations back in the news.

As a pediatrician and internist, I am strong proponent of the routine pediatric vaccination schedule defined by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Though alternative vaccine schedules are becoming increasingly popular among primarily affluent families and on social media, there are a variety of valid concerns with these including lowered vaccination rates, declining herd immunity and decreased vaccine efficacy. There is no science to back their efficacy and only in rare circumstances are there valid medical reasons for them.

However, I think we as physicians often take the wrong approach to counseling on pediatric vaccinations when we refuse to see families who decline vaccines. By excluding those from our practices who refuse vaccines for their children, we effectively ostracize a segment of the population who needs care and relegate them to those few providers who are tolerant of vaccine refusal.

Interpersonal tact and measured persistence are needed to consistently engage families who have significant vaccine hesitancy, and only provider continuity can achieve this. To provide the best care for these children, we must continue to engage their families.

Dr. Thomas Mason, Columbus