Mother Refuses Tetanus Shot and Keeps Further Vaccines From Her Son

AB
4 hrs

My doctor refused to send my sons referral to the burn center (for third degree burns) unless I agreed to the tetanus shot that he wasn't even due for. (Was fully vaxxed before 12 months. He's 15 months old) Said she didn't mind giving it 3 months early (said he'd be due for it at 18 months) because without it his burn was prone to infection. I said no thank you. Then she got ill and insisted that he go ahead and get his 12 month immunizations today. I said he wasn't feeling well and I'd make a separate appointment for that (a lie, but still) Then she said "I can't send him to this center unless you do his 12 month immunizations today and come back Friday for his 18 month immunizations. Then I can call them and get you in." (Like I said my son is ONLY 15 months!) I said "no thank you." She told the nurse to go grab a refusal form. The nurse brings it back and asks me to sign it. Again I said, no thank you. They both look at me like I'm growing another head and stand in front of the door saying she was NOT letting us leave until I signed the form. I said I wasn't signing it and I put my diaper bag on my back and walked around them, and left. She made comments on my "poor baby's arm will get infected now" and how "suspicious" it was that he fell onto a fire pit but his hand wasn't burned, just his arm, said she was not sending the prescription over to the pharmacy nor was she sending his referral to the burn center. I told her that was perfectly fine and that I would file a complaint and get his referral from someone else. Drove 10 mins to the ER (who had seen him for his burn Saturday) and they send his referral right over without seeing him again and told me I did the right thing. Then I marched my happy butt straight to the health department and got his religious exemption. I will never let someone bully me into making a healthy decision for my son. Tomorrow my baby goes to the burn center WITHOUT his tetanus shot.

EDIT TO ADD- It's Children's Medical Center in Powdersville SC Dr. Patrica Sanders.

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I think she meant to say I will never let someone bully me FOR making a healthy decision for her son.

South Carolina Exemption Forms:

South Carolina Certificate of Religious Exemption (From Immunization)
Religious Exemption form (DHEC form 1126)

http://www.vaclib.org/letters/DHEC-1126.pdf
http://experimentalvaccines.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/South-Carolina-Certificate-of-Religious-Immunization-Exemption.pdf
http://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Laws/state-vaccine-requirements/northcarolina/south-carolina-religious-waiver.aspx


[The medical exemption] form is at the bottom of the DHEC 1148

http://www.vaclib.org/letters/DHEC-1148.PDF
http://experimentalvaccines.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/South-Carolina-Medical-Vaccine-Immunization-Exemption-Form.pdf