Doctor explains why he lets kids avoid the measles vaccine

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Doctor Jay Gordon is a pediatrician in Santa Monica, California. More thanhalf his patients have delayed vaccinating their children for measles or decided not to.

"This measles outbreak does not pose a great risk to a healthy child," said Dr. Gordon. "And quitefrankly I don't think it poses any risk to a healthy child."

Dr. Jay Gordon

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If somebody with measles walked into Dr. Gordon's office, 90 percent of the unvaccinated peoplewho come in contact with them would get measles. I asked Dr. Gordon to explain how that type ofcontagion isn't a risk.

"You just said it, they'd get measles," Dr. Gordon replied. "Not meningitis, not the plague, not Ebola,they'd get measles. Measles is almost an always a benign childhood illness."

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Dr. Gordon has signed hundreds of "personal belief exemptions," which allow parents to bypass lawsrequiring vaccinations. I asked him if it's still a personal choice to help bring back a disease that wehad largely eradicated from the population.

"Individual parents making that decision are not the ones bringing back measles," answered Dr.Gordon. "Measles isn't coming back. We have 70 cases of measles right now and we have 30 millionCalifornians."

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The vast majority of doctors support vaccination including Dr. Deborah Lehman at Cedars SinaiMedical Center.

"People don't remember children staying in dark rooms because they have measles and the lighthurts their eyes and developing brain swelling and serious developmental problems," said Dr.Lehman. "We've given people a false sense of security and it's situations like this, outbreaks like thisthat really remind us of the importance of these diseases and really the benefit of vaccine."

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Many parents who chose not to vaccinate are having a sudden change of heart. Doctor Gordon gave35 MMR shots Monday, that's more than he gave all of last year.

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