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San Francisco officials are investigating a doctor and a declared skeptic about vaccination, suspected of distributing illegal exemptions for measles vaccine in the United States.
Dr. Kenneth Stoller, a physician specializing in "hyperbaric medicine" in San Francisco, was summoned to testify to deliver the redacted versions of his patient records.
City prosecutor Dennis Herrera announced on Wednesday that his office had opened an investigation to determine whether Dr. Stoller had "violated state nuisance laws by providing medical exemptions for patients who do not have medical care." Were not eligible. "
The subpoena comes amidst the nationwide measles epidemic that has sickened 764 Americans, including 42 in California, and Herrera warned that inappropriate waivers put children at risk "in real life". danger".
Dr. Kenneth Stoller (left) has been a virulent critic about vaccines and some websites suggest visitors to consult him if they need help to obtain medical exemptions. San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera (right) suspected that Dr. Stoller's patient records were suspected of his derogations, putting his children at risk "in real danger"
Earlier this year, Dr. Stoller and other California doctors were accused of letting them know that they were advertising and selling inappropriate vaccine exemptions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all children receive two doses of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine – the first between 12 and 15 months and the second between four and six months.
Injections are recommended by the federal government, but are not mandatory. States are responsible for defining legal requirements and exemptions.
States must allow religious exemptions to comply with the First Amendment, but 17 still allow children to go to school but avoid blows if the family has moral, philosophical or other objections to vaccination.
California was one of them until 2015, when it passed a law banning philosophical derogations following the 2014 measles outbreak in Disneyland and sickened 147 Americans.
Attorney General Herrera says his office suspects Dr Stoller of violating this measure, Senate Bill 277 (SB 277).
On Wednesday, Herrera accused Dr Stoller of helping to weaken the herd's immunity in his community.
"As a community, we have a responsibility to each other," he said in a statement.
"There are children with serious health problems that prevent them from being vaccinated."
A community is considered globally protected against measles if 90 to 95% of people are vaccinated against the highly contagious disease.
The scary thing is that it is the children most at risk when someone indulges in the deception of the medical exemption,
Dennis Herrera, San Francisco City Attorney
This vaccination rate protects the low percentage of children too young to be vaccinated, as well as people of all ages suffering from weakened allergies and immune systems.
In California, for the 2017-2018 school year, the vaccination rate of kindergarten children was 95.1% – sufficient for herd immunity, but marking a decrease of 0.4% per year. compared to the previous school year.
But doctors who offer parents a possibly illegitimate way around the SB 277 are threatening these vaccination rates.
Dr. Stoller is featured in videos on the vaccine-injury.info website, saying that vaccines cause autism.
The California Coalition For Vaccine Choice website recommends visitors to contact Dr. Stoller or Dr. Kelly Sutton if they "need help in obtaining a medical exemption".
Dr. Stoller's lawyer, Richard Jaffe, said the patient privacy laws prevented the doctor from handing over his records and defended the exceptions his client wrote in an interview with the doctor. Sacramento bee.
"We now have genetic tests, which provide additional information," said Jaffe.
"You can use it, and doctors can exercise their discretion" to decide whether a child's genes make vaccination medically dangerous for him.
Dr. Stoller stated that he offered free 23andMe genetic testing in two visits and could base his medical exemptions on the results, despite clear statements from the home DNA testing company that the product should not be used to make medical decisions.
Attorney General Herrera gave the doctor 15 days to respond to the subpoena and suggested that the exemptions granted by Dr. Stoller amounted to deception.
"What is scary is the most exposed children when someone is engaged in a deception with respect to medical exemption," Herrera said.
"If a person uses a medical exemption for which they are not eligible and introduces unvaccinated children into this environment, children who are legitimately unable to get vaccinated – and ultimately the general public – are the ones who are running a real risk. danger."
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