Dr Bob Sears, a California pediatrician and vocal vaccine sceptic, is facing fresh legal action after allegedly writing inappropriate medical exemptions for vaccines while on probation. The Medical Board of California claims Sears issued at least two suspected bogus exemptions for a brother and sister within 12 months of being placed on probation in May 2018.
Sears was given 35 months of probation after citing illegitimate medical reasons, such as family histories of autoimmune disorders, to exempt children from vaccinations. The new complaint, filed by board director Kimberly Kirchmeyer, comes just two days before Sears testified against a state bill aimed at cracking down on false exemptions.
California banned non-medical vaccine exemptions in 2015 following a measles outbreak linked to Disney theme parks. However, some doctors continue to profit by charging up to $100 for medical exemptions, despite the risks of fuelling outbreaks of preventable diseases like measles.
The Medical Board of California received 36 complaints about inappropriate vaccine exemptions in 2018, up from 44 in 2017 and 12 in 2016. Sears remains the only physician disciplined for the practice so far, but he continues to express anti-vaccination views on social media.
