An Iowa mom took her child in for an athletic physical this week but walked out upset about what transpired during the physical.
According to the mother, the nurse practitioner who saw her child for the physical informed them that the child needed a vaccine for tetanus, meningitis and HPV.
The family was fine with the tetanus vaccine but didn’t wish to receive shots for meningitis and HPV. As soon that was said, the nurse practitioner immediately asked why the mother felt that way and if she had done her research.
She followed that up by stating that if the child didn’t receive the vaccines, they couldn’t attend school. After the mother said the family had a religious exemption and her child has every right to be at school, the nurse practitioner left the room for a bit.
When the nurse practitioner returned, she said it is policy that unless the child receives the meningitis vaccine they could no longer be a patient because they believe in keeping the community safe. At one point, the mother said the nurse practitioner told the child and the mother that she just had a relative die from meningitis.
“It seems very discriminatory to me,” the mother told The Iowa Standard. “I know quite a few other families in town that have had the same experience there. It’s shameful.”
We called the Health Trust Physicians Clinic to ask if children need to be updated with their vaccinations to be seen or if an alternate schedule would work or no vaccinations at all. The person who answered our call said it was “kind of a wide-open question,” but said if there would be a different schedule it would need to be approved by the pediatrician.
The clinic is at the Madison County Memorial Hospital. According to the Madison County Health Care System’s public relations manager, a person called Sarah Bradley, Health Trust Physicians Clinic is part of the Madison County Health Care System. And it has a “clear policy on vaccinations.”
“We strongly advocate for the vaccination of children and young adults according to the schedule recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics,” Bradley said. “Vaccination is viewed as a crucial health-promoting intervention.
“While we encourage open discussions about vaccination concerns, we require all patients, barring medical contraindications, to be vaccinated. Absolute refusal to vaccinate may result in the termination of the physician-patient relationship, although emergency services remain available to all.”
It seems like a harsh policy. And an ironic one, since this sign is plastered on the wall:
Parents who are educated on vaccines should also be aware that hospitals and clinics rarely stock the tetanus only vaccine. The standard tetanus vaccine also includes the MMR vaccine.
Sorry, it’s DtaP, not MMR.
[…] Last week we told you about a family’s experience at the clinic at Madison County Memorial Hospital as it related to vaccinations. You can read about that incident here. […]