An obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Calgary has put up a sign asking parents: 鈥淧lease don鈥檛 bring any unvaccinated children.鈥�
Dr. Fiona Mattatall said Chrysalis Obstetrics & Gynecology made the decision after Alberta Health Services confirmed a in Calgary earlier this month.
The clinic鈥檚 five doctors have long asked parents to leave unvaccinated children at home, but recently decided they needed a 鈥渧isual reminder鈥� in order to protect their most vulnerable patients, Dr. Mattatall explained.
She said these vulnerable patients include babies who are too young to be vaccinated and women whose immune systems are compromised by illnesses like cancer.
Dr. Mattatall said the decision presented a 鈥渕oral dilemma鈥� because the clinic doesn鈥檛 want to reduce access to health care, even for those who choose not to vaccinate.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not turning patients away,鈥� she said. 鈥淛ust don鈥檛 bring family members who would pose a risk,鈥� she added.
鈥淚t would be a very different scenario for a pediatrician,鈥� she went on.
The reaction to the message has so far been mostly positive, but at least one member of the public who opposes vaccination called the clinic to complain.
The person was 鈥渜uite verbally abusive to our staff,鈥� according to Dr. Mattatall. 鈥淭hey said they would bring their unvaccinated children to now sit in our clinic,鈥� she added. 鈥淧lease don鈥檛.鈥�
Dr. Mattatall said the clinic will consider special accommodations for parents of unvaccinated children who can鈥檛 find child care, like putting them in a separate room as soon as they arrive.
Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch said he agrees that the decision to ban unvaccinated people can be 鈥渢ricky鈥� for physicians to make.
鈥淥n the one hand, physicians and clinics are really trying to protect their patients,鈥� he told CTV News Channel on Tuesday. 鈥�(Some) are more susceptible to getting the infection or having a bad outcome.鈥�
鈥淥n the other hand, health care is for everyone in Canada,鈥� he went on. 鈥淲e shouldn鈥檛 be doing the shame and blame game with people who are unvaccinated.鈥�
Dr. Bogoch said clinics may want to consider creative options like scheduling unvaccinated patients at the end of the day when other patients have gone home.
He also patients also have a duty to stop the virus from spreading. People who think they may have 鈥� which can include fever, cough, runny nose, spots in the mouth and/or a skin rash -- should call ahead to warn clinics, he said.
Dr. Bogoch added that although measles is 鈥渉ighly contagious鈥� the level of vaccination in Canada is 鈥渜uite high鈥� so the risk of getting measles is generally 鈥渧ery, very low.鈥�
Health Canada reports that about 89 per cent of Canadian children had received the recommended dose of the measles vaccine by the age of two.
Endemic measles was eradicated in Canada in 1998 but can still be acquired abroad. Recently, it has been spreading in British Columbia where there have been 17 confirmed cases. One case has also been confirmed in Toronto this year.
