Many people have forgotten the consequences of childhood diseases like polio, tetanus and measles because of the success of vaccines. Now parents are more likely to fear the consequence of the vaccine than appreciate what it protects their children against. Rebuilding and sustaining public trust in vaccines is an ongoing objective for all health care providers.
A full recording of the webcast is now available. To view, use the following password: 11vaccine19
Below is follow-up information requested by the event participants.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) has the following policy document: Ending the Physician-Patient Relationship;
It states: “Circumstances where physicians must not end the physician-patient relationship. Physicians must respect patient autonomy with respect to lifestyle, healthcare goals, and treatment decisions, and not end the physician-patient relationship solely because the patient does not follow advice (for example, with respect to smoking cessation, drug or alcohol use, or the patient’s decision to refrain from being vaccinated or vaccinating his/her children).”
At Toronto Public Health, we wait until both parents can consent before providing vaccines in these situations. Students who are old enough to consent on their own (i.e. can provide their own informed consent as per the Health Care Consent Act) do not require parental consent.
The documents below address the vaccine questions put forward by participants at the November 2019 event.
Adapted with permission from the Canadian Paediatric Society: Working with Vaccine-Hesitant Parents: An Update Sept. 14, 2018.
It can feel overwhelming when patients question our recommendations. However, your patients look to you for trusted advice. We are here to help. Have questions? Ask us at immunization@toronto.ca