A growing number of pediatricians around the country are closing their doors on unvaccinated patients in an effort to protect the rest.
Damian Dovarganes / AP
Facing the biggest measles outbreak since 2000, pediatricians are speaking out with a sharp message for their unvaccinated patients: Do not enter.
They say this zero-tolerance policy will protect vulnerable patients in their waiting rooms — such as infants and those with weak immune systems — from exposure to a virus their bodies are not equipped to fight.
On Jan. 11, Dr. Charles Goodman, a pediatrician from Los Angeles, took to Facebook with a message for parents who choose not to vaccinate.
Via facebook.com
The outbreak began at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, in December, and has quickly spread to infect at least 102 people across 14 states. Of the original 59 people infected with the measles, at least 36 were completely unvaccinated.
"The measles outbreak in California is absolutely what spurred us to do this," Goodman told BuzzFeed News.
Measles can be deadly, and infants under the age of 1 have a 90% chance of contracting the virus if exposed.
"Basically that's a lot of people who could get measles from one non-immunized kid, and we said, you know what, that's just not fair," Goodman said. "Why should we put all these kids at risk just because a small number of anti-vaxxers are saying no?"
via FOLLOW
