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Northwest Suburban Doctors' Network No Longer Treating Unvaccinated Children

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Doctors with a northwest suburban health service have barred children who don't have up-do-date vaccinations from coming into their offices, except on an emergency basis.

Crystal Lake-based Centegra Physician Care said they want to make sure their patients – especially those too young and vulnerable to receive immunizations – aren't exposed to any potentially fatal diseases.

"Our practice just hit a point where it's like we thought the best thing we can do for the health care of the kids in our community is to say we strongly feel that they should be vaccinated. In fact, you can't come and see us anymore if you're not going to be vaccinated," said Dr. Laura Bianconi.

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She said, with the new policy in place, they will only treat children who have been vaccinated according to the schedule developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Patients who are behind on vaccinations will be encouraged to schedule catch-up immunizations as soon as possible.

"We're certainly not the first to do it. It's probably the first large practice in McHenry County to do it, but in the Chicagoland area as a whole, this is a pretty common practice," she said.

Bianconi said the policy applies only at Centegra outpatient locations. Children will be treated in the emergency rooms at Centegra hospitals in McHenry and Woodstock, regardless of their vaccination status.

The policy also does not require annual flu vaccinations.

Bianconi said the new guidelines came after a tipping point when there was an outbreak of measles in Palatine in February.

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