allopathic doctor poll for non vaxxers and sel/delayed

[kathymuggle]

I am trying to work out if there is a difference in experiences between more generalised allopathic doctors and pediatricians.

Please let me know what your experience was with a Family doctor/ GP(general practitioner) and/or pediatrician with regards to vaccine decisions.  I am wondering if there are any trends on who is better at dealing with vaccine- questioners or resisters.

Poll time!

[Chicharronita]

In my case GPs have been more supportive. 

My pediatricians were mostly supportive, even if they didn't agree with my decision not to vaccinate. But having dh there glowering in the corner like a bouncer while I talked may have had something to do with it. ;-)

[ssun5]

I will say that my experience in several states and numerous Ped's have all been horrible. I refuse to go back now to see one. As soon as they found out that I wasn't interested in Vax... it seems they go on a crusade to either make you feel as stupid as possible or pulling the dead baby card.  None of them could ever seem to answer any questions I had ever. I have been to 8.

There is not ONE ped in my entire city who will see us now because of our vax status. Oh well.

Out of all the GP we have seen, they respectfully ask questions and then respect my answers and don't push.

The one we have had the last few years is great for us as he refuses to even administer vax to children at all as he states its against his conscience. He is old and has watched the entire vax subject over the course of his life. Have had fascinating conversations with him regarding it all.

    I would say he has been able to answer my questions and so far if he doesn't know, says so and researches the question until he comes up with an "idea".  That's refreshing to me.

So hands down, GP have been much more favorable.
 

[emmy526]

It's a hard one for me, because the pedi we've used for the last 16yrs, never has made a comment to me about it, and my decision....i can't help but wonder if that is because he is Pakistani, Muslim, and has respect for religious freedom.  The other pedi's we saw in colorado back in the early and mid 90's were respectful of our decision as well.  I have found ER staff are much more sarcastic/bullying when it comes to injury and pushing vaccines.  My own dr has never brought up the issue with me-ever.

[japonica]

Our GP has been respectful and willing to discuss the matter. He signed our CO forms with a grudging, "Wish you'd reconsider on the tetanus," and now that we are considering the dT, he's probably a little more content about that, but he's not been pushy on any other vaccines. He agreed to keep seeing us as family GP even though he knew we'd be doing very few vaccines of those on the schedule. Part of it as well I suspect is that he's older and his own kids have had CP, mumps and the like. Living around this area, I imagine he's also seen his fair share of pertussis cases.

Peds...I found them to be less accommodating. The younger ones less so. I ran into a couple of residents in my kids' former peds office that were straight textbook on the whole issue: "You must stick to the schedule. No, you cannot delay..."

ER docs though have to be the worst IMO. I've had times, like when I brought my kid in for a dislocated elbow, that they fixated on the "not up to date" status and just go off on it while the real problem remains to be treated. "Um, can we sort out her elbow first and discuss her vaccine status later?" I've also had one proclaim, "Your kids will not be able to attend school anywhere in this state!" while I replied, "Funny that, they've been enrolled with no issues whatsoever." He stormed off yelling, "I'm going to write to your GP!" I just rolled my eyes.

[SweetSilver]

We have Nurse Practioners as well in our state, so I was unsure how to vote.  Both the girls and I see ARNPs as our PCPs.

[kathymuggle]

Originally Posted by SweetSilver 

We have Nurse Practioners as well in our state, so I was unsure how to vote.  Both the girls and I see ARNPs as our PCPs.

Is a primary care physician a GP?

I think they are.

If your PCP is a GP, I would vote accordingly.  

I would skip the Nurse practioner for this poll, but feel free to comment on her/him in the thread if you like.

[chickabiddy]

Technically, I am a delayed vaxxer.  My daughter is fully vaxed, but we did one vax at a time until we were comfortable that the reactions were within the parameters of normal (and I am not going to discuss or debate the definition of "normal").  We saw a family doctor and he was respectful but not exactly supportive of the choice to delay.

[Turquesa]

Ssun5, I've had a similar experience with the older doctors being easier to talk to, ie those who practiced before the lunacy of routine mandatory chicken pox and Hep B vaccination. The younger ones, in my personal experience, have been more dogmatic and fanatical. The lack of open critical thinking that I've witnessed in medicine is disheartening to me as a health care consumer.

That's why I didn't check any of the poll options about asking questions. I've given up on hearing anything from doctors that I haven't already read in their online sales training manuals. So I stopped asking questions. I'm sure I'll get reamed for saying that, but there you have it. I really would like for the situation, ie the strain and lack of trust in doc-patient relationships, to improve.

I may change my tune, however. The doctors I see, on hearing that I don't "fully" vaccinate, almost seem disappointed when I tell them that I don't have any questions. It's like they've been waiting for this Big Moment--Finally! An encounter with a Refuser!---to put their well-rehearsed talking points to use. So I may humor them with one of the questions from that Questions for Your Doctor thread we had some months ago. Or maybe not. I don't know. Can you tell I hate going to the doctor, even to the one I like and see regularly? I have to go to get the vaccines that I want for my kids. I kind of envy the non-vaxxers who just see naturopaths...

eta I should probably address the poll in my post! I had one mean, snippy, rude doctor re: vax and now see one who respects my right to decide.

[kathymuggle]

bumping in case we get a few more votes.

At this point is looking like GP or family doctors may be the way to go where vaccines sceptics are concerned.

The only surprise for me (and the poll is small, so it may all be coincidence) is that pediatricians seemed less able to answer questions on vaccines than GPs.  I would have expected the reverse - given that pediatricians specialise in children.  It is also possible that patients expect more from a pediatrician (rightly so, perhaps) so it bothers them more when they are unable to answer questions?

[Marnica]

We love our pedi. In fact I sought her out as being a pedi who was respectful and even supportive of not vaccinating. When i was pregnant, I asked my own family doc how he felt about not vaccinating and he said he was only supportive of selective and delayed, but wasn't on board with nothing at all. I don;t think he would have refused to see my DS but I chose to find a doctor that was more supportive of it. 

[Chloebelle]

Our GP has been my DH's doctor for years, so it's a bit easier to talk to him. He tried to talk us into vaxing but in a kind way. We haven't actually been to see him in a few years, and even when the kids were babies, we didn't go to WBV very often. He's probably seen each kid 4-5 times, and they are now 4 & 6.