Readers React: OC doctor’s bad advice on vaccines threatens public health

To the editor: The approach that Dana Point pediatrician Bob Sears takes to vaccines shouldn’t just frustrate disease experts. People who live in the community in which Sears practices should worry as well. His comment regarding delaying or not vaccinating children — “It may not be good for the public health. But ... for your individual child, I think it is a safe enough choice” — is irresponsible and downright dangerous. (“Vaccination controversy swirls around O.C.’s ‘Dr. Bob,’” Sept. 6)

Of the more than 9,000 cases of pertussis in the last epidemic (2010), I was one of the unlucky 3% of adult cases that year and an even unluckier 1% who got an accompanying case of pneumonia. It took me

12 weeks to recover. Here in Orange County, the rate of cases in 2010 was higher than the state average. Considering the popularity of Sears and his books, this is no coincidence.

Instead of advocating personal choice, it is Sears’ duty to appeal to parents to vaccinate their children and help protect our community from sickness.

Terri Nolan, San Clemente

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To the editor: It is about time for California to pass a law eliminating the personal-belief exemption for the vaccination requirement to attend public schools. If parents want to ignore medical science and put their own children at risk for deadly communicable diseases, they should not be allowed to put the health of other children and families at risk.

The public school system has immunization requirements for a reason. It’s called “herd immunity.”

If parents choose not to follow these guidelines for religious reasons, there are plenty of private religious schools for their children. If parents have a personal reason not to immunize, they too have the option of private school or home school.

I don’t want to take away parents’ freedom to make medical decisions for their children; I just don’t want them to jeopardize the health of other children.

Linda Browne, Granada Hills

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To the editor: Sears has offered ill-informed parents the sense of security they require to justify their refusal to vaccinate their children.

The serious childhood illnesses I have seen in more than 40 years as a pediatrician have not gone away; they are merely kept at bay through the efforts of teachers and researchers such as infectious diseases specialist Paul Offit.

Peter Ambrose, MD, Claremont

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To the editor: Why would a responsible newspaper print such an article? How many more parents will seek this person out and how many more children will go unvaccinated?

Just like there is a law that requires parents to put their children in car seats, all children should be required by law to be vaccinated, especially those in public school. As stated in the article, these parents are depending on the rest of us to do the right thing so they don’t have to.

Elaine Hassan, Los Angeles

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