Vaccine skepticism has become a defining issue for pediatricians across the United States, forcing medical professionals to manage patient trust, government policy, and medical protocol. In Massachusetts, a pediatric practice in Lakeville is taking an unusual approach to these challenges by refusing to dismiss families who refuse to vaccinate their children, instead opting for extensive, sometimes unpaid, consultation sessions to build trust and understanding.
Meet-and-greets over dismissal policies
Middleboro Pediatrics in Lakeville has become a refuge for parents who feel alienated by the standard dismissal policies common in many medical practices. These policies, which require parents to choose between their medical beliefs and their child’s doctor, have forced many families to search for physicians willing to listen. The practice’s partners, including Aaron Bornstein, decided early on that they would not force families out for refusing vaccines, a stance that has attracted a steady stream of new patients looking for a more flexible approach.
The decision to welcome hesitant families was driven by a philosophical belief that vaccine-skeptical parents are not a monolithic bloc, but individuals with specific fears and concerns that can be addressed through communication rather than coercion. “We don’t kick people out,” Bornstein told one mother. “We work with people.” However, the practice is not without its conditions. These initial conversations serve as a trial period to assess how a parent will handle future medical advice, particularly if their child becomes critically ill and requires interventions the parent might otherwise refuse.
Related: CEO reveals findings of review on ADA conference
The conversation at the practice is often lengthy and detailed. Parents are expected to explain the specific sources of their skepticism, whether it be conspiracy theories, concerns about ingredients, or distrust of government mandates. The doctors, in turn, explain the science behind the vaccines and the risks of preventable diseases. This back-and-forth can be emotionally taxing for the medical staff, who must maintain a neutral, non-judgmental tone while protecting their own liability in case a patient refuses a recommended treatment that results in harm.
There is a distinct possibility that a family might eventually choose to leave the practice if they feel the doctor is pushing too hard on the topic of vaccines. Some parents have already walked out of these conversations, feeling that the doctor is not respecting their autonomy. For now, the practice remains open to these difficult discussions, operating as a sort of medical safe harbor for families handling a confusing and often hostile environment.
Handling a fractured setting
The political environment surrounding vaccination has complicated these conversations. Recent changes in federal policy, including executive orders that questioned the safety of combined vaccines, have added fuel to the fire of public distrust. These moves have created confusion among parents and have arguably made the work of pediatricians more difficult, as they now have to combat misinformation that comes directly from high-level government sources.
Related: Juul cleared to sell age‑gated vaping device
Vaccine confidence is lowest in the MAGAverse — in a survey late last year, 80% of Democrats reported trusting immunizations writ large, while only 48% of Republicans did — but the trend is visible even in Massachusetts, among the bluest of the blue.
For the pediatricians at Middleboro, the stakes are personal. They have seen the consequences of medical mistrust firsthand. Bornstein recalled a case from his residency where a parent refused treatment for a child with a severe bacterial infection, citing religious reasons. The conflict ultimately required the involvement of state authorities and emergency child protective services. The doctors hope that by building a relationship of trust through these meet-and-greets, they can avoid such extreme scenarios in the future, where a parent might refuse life-saving antibiotics or other standard medical interventions.