What's Up, Doc?

Some doctors are educating parents about vaccines in the wake of a recent study that was soundly discredited.  This study implied that vaccines could be linked to autism among other difficulties.  The only problem is, it has since been found to be something between gross negligence a bid for fame.  After exhausting all efforts to explain, some doctors are now encouraging parents to find new doctors.  Some parents are upset, but doctors have the right to dictate their personal code of ethics.  One doctor points out that he isn't refusing to treat the patient, the parents are instead refusing to allow him to do so.  

"Vaccination has provided relief of diseases such as polio, smallpox, and the various viral -- chicken pox, measles, mumps, rubella, pertussis -- and bacteriologic -- pneumonia, flu, meningitis -- diseases that once plague small children and has contributed in immeasurable ways to the improvement of humanity," Cronan said.

Lieber says he enacted his policy about 11 years ago, "after an unvaccinated family walked into my waiting room with chicken pox." Last week's incident in which a woman with measels flew through Denver put more fuel on the fire for him.

When he explains the science behind the answer, and tries to correct the damage done by the discredited study, doctors like Lieber are doing their duty to teach people how to be healthy.  It raises an interesting ethical dilemma for the medical community.  On one hand, you have the right of an individual to keep control of their medical choices.  On the other hand, there is a completely sound ethical argument for our responsibilities as members of society to protect the public from communicable diseases that are both deadly and easy to prevent. Most disturbing of all, it shows how frustrating it is when misinformation takes hold and conspiracy theories sprout.