More Colorado Doctors Refusing To Treat Unvaccinated Kids

About one in 10 kids in Colorado do not have vaccinations required to attend school. Now new research from Denver shows that more doctors are refusing care to those children.

"If you want to go ahead and make your choice [to vaccinate or not vaccinate], I'm not going to sit by and watch you allow your child to die from something that could have been prevented," said Denver pediatrician Dr. Andrew Lieber. "I'm begging to treat and they're (parents) just not letting me."

Needless to say, if you choose not to vaccinate your child, Dr. Lieber isn't the pediatrician for your child.

The study of pediatricians nationwide shows Dr. Lieber isn't alone - 1 in 5 pediatricians refuse to treat unvaccinated patients.

For some pediatricians, it's difficult to care  for children they know are at risk for diseases. For others, it's a matter of safety for all others in the waiting room. And sometimes it's up to the parents who don't want to take their child to a pediatrician that accepts non-vaccinators.

It is completely legal for doctors to refuse care. But what about a "moral obligation" to keep kids healthy?

"My moral obligation is not to the parents it's to the child. And my moral obligation is to protect that child, and if I can't do that I feel I have a moral obligation to not participate in that care," says Dr. Lieber.

The State Health Department says more than 5% of Colorado kids are not vaccinated - that's among the highest in the country.