AMA Delegates Target Naturopaths Who Write Vaccine Exemptions

AMA Delegates Target Naturopaths Who Write Vaccine Exemptions Other proposals focused on minimum wage, access to menstrual care products, and looming pay cuts Cheryl Clark medpagetoday

CHICAGO -- Non-medically trained providers such as naturopaths, homeopaths, and other alternative medicine providers are allowed to write vaccine exemptions in some states, a "loophole" that some American Medical Association (AMA) delegates adamantly say their organization should work to close.

"Although exemption [rules] vary from state to state, all immunization laws grant [vaccine] exemptions for medical reasons," said Aparna Kanjhlia, on behalf of the Medical Student Section, which proposed the policy change. "However, some states have a broad definition" of who can provide those exemptions. ...

Ray Callas, MD, of the Texas Medical Association, called the states' permissiveness "a scope of practice creep," in which non-medically trained individuals assume they can provide services properly provided by physicians. He said that failing to close such a loophole could be dangerous, allowing people to practice medicine "without going to medical school." ...