Dilemmas in the care of children whose families refuse vaccination

The contribution of vaccines to the health of populations is a scientifically proven fact. Vaccination is the health activity with the greatest impact in terms of years of quality of life gained. It is a priority to maintain health, to eliminate certain risks and to control epidemic or endemic situations. The number of families reluctant to vaccinate their children is small in our country and it is still more the number of people who completely reject vaccination and are anti-vaccine activists. The questioning of the vaccinal activity, carried out by health professionals, is felt by many as if their expertise or professional integrity was questioned. This generates feelings of rejection towards these families and ethical doubts about the attitudes and decisions to adopt in these situations. We describe the circumstances that may lead to the rupture of the doctor-patient relationship, how to prevent this situation and how to deal with it if it arises.

Keywords: Vaccination. Vaccination refusal. Ethics.