Open AccessPertussis Infection in a Naturopathic Primary Care Setting: Reflection on a Case
Author(s) -
Luciano Garofalo,
Joshua Corn,
Meghan Sperandeo
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
the permanente journal/permanente journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.445
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1552-5775
pISSN - 1552-5767
DOI - 10.7812/tpp/20.065
Subject(s) - naturopathy , medicine , family medicine , public health , alternative medicine , health care , nursing , pathology , economics , economic growth
Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease that has made a global resurgence in the 21st century. Vaccine hesitancy remains a persistent barrier to achieving protective vaccination rates. Vaccine-hesitant individuals may be more likely to seek counsel with a naturopathic doctor. Seven more state legislatures have voted to license and/or regulate naturopathic doctors in the last decade, illustrating the growing popularity of naturopathic medicine in the present health care landscape. Still, the growth of naturopathic medicine, and its potential relationship to vaccine hesitancy, is worrisome. Naturopathic doctors can be advocates for immunization to vaccine-hesitant individuals, but ambivalence toward vaccines within the profession remains a public health concern.