25% of MDs Tell Un-vaccinated Kids To “Get Lost”

Unfortunately, the issue of kids not getting vaccinated is not going away.  While only 1% of infants don’t get any vaccines, there are still 30% of kids who don’t get all the recommended vaccines.

So, what should a pediatrician do about families that don’t get their vaccines?  Should they continue to treat them?  The number that say it’s time to find a new provider has jumped to 25% in 2011 (compared to 18% in 2005) according to research reported in a Time Magazine article.  I’d bet that number might jump further as physicians bear risk or have more money tied up in performance bonuses.

It begs the question of what adults do…For example, with flu shots, do adults get them?  Based on a Consumer Reports study, it’s only about 50% of adults that do.

I have a few older posts on this general topic.  It’s also a very interesting topic in the pharmacy world as retailers focus on vaccinations both as a revenue source and a value-added service.

• Penn and Teller on Vaccinations
• 50,000 Adults Die Each Year Of Vaccine Preventable Diseases
• Vaccines and Autism…The Long Path Back
• Increasing Flu Shots

I also found this infographic on the topic which I thought I would share.

Created by: Medical Coding Career Guide