"I work in a labour and delivery unit in Calgary, and our floor had always prided itself on an open visitation policy. Having a baby is a huge moment in a person's life, and patients do better with support from family and friends. The only other time we'd had to restrict visitors was during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020. Before long, things got so bad that our entire unit relocated to another hospital for a few months"
"I'm not the boldest of doctors when it comes to those resistant to vaccines. I state what I know to be the science. I describe the diseases vaccines are meant to prevent, the evidence of their efficacy, the low risk of side effects. If the hesitation seems about the very real burden of choice-taking an action that might cause harm"
A labour and delivery unit in Calgary reinstated visitor restrictions to two people per patient in response to a measles outbreak. The unit previously maintained an open visitation policy and experienced severe disruption during COVID-19, including relocation to another hospital and staff burnout. Vaccination and public health measures later reduced the COVID-19 threat. Measles reemerged after being considered eradicated, and a newborn recently died from the disease. A physician describes communicating vaccine science and efficacy, acknowledges hesitancy rooted in fear of causing harm, and shares personal vaccination choices to protect family, patients, and community.
Read at The Walrus
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