vaccine baby
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The Austin Regional Clinic takes the lead in Central Texas when it comes to vaccines after the clinic announced they will no longer accept children as patients if the child isn't vaccinated starting Wednesday.

The clinic said the recent measles outbreak at Disneyland in California demonstrates just how quickly infectious diseases can spread. That outbreak started with just one case and led to more than 115 cases in at least 21 states.

"That's a huge group of people that we had at Disneyland at that moment but yet so many of them got sick because these diseases are incredibly, incredibly infectious," said Alison Ziari, co-chief of pediatrics at ARC.

ARC reports that most of its 400,000 patients -- adults and children -- have their vaccinations. But Ziari said the number of non-vaccinated patients continues to rise. She said she does not have an exact number.

The clinic will start scheduling unvaccinated children who are current patients for catch-up vaccines based on recommendations from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a release from the clinic.

"More than 400,000 infants, children, adolescents, adults and seniors trust ARC for their health needs. It is our responsibility to ensure our facilities are safe for all of them," Russ Krienke, chief medical officer of the Austin Regional Clinic, said in a statement. "And while we respect the right of families to make their own choices for their children, we also respect the trust our patients put in us to ensure the safety of all, and our policies must honor that trust."


The clinic said it will continue to accept new pediatric patients and keep current patients who have compromised immune systems or documented adverse reactions to vaccines.

Michelle Schneider with Texans for Vaccine Choice doubts that, though.

"Most doctors don't recognize vaccine reactions and don't listen to parents who say their kids have had vaccine reactions gives me great pause with Austin Regional Clinic's new policy," Schneider said.

ARC's decision will affect seven Central Texas cities.

According to KVUE's partners at the Austin American-Statesman, less than 1 percent of the 51 million school children in Texas are not vaccinated. However, in Travis, Williamson and Hays counties, the rate of exemptions for religious and philosophical reasons were double the state rate, according to the Statesman's analysis.

"We love our patients and we want all of our patients to stay with us, but we have to protect those who can't protect themselves," Ziari said.

At the Quarry Park in Leander, Carolyn Piangerelli and her children are ARC patients.

"I do appreciate that they are taking that into consideration and are looking at the best interest of their patients," she said.

Still she said she falls somewhere in the middle on the vaccination topic.

"I do vaccinate all my children and they have all their vaccinations but I also believe that people can choose whether or not they want to do that for their child as well," Piangerelli said.