This doctor was very smiley when I first met him. But I often just went with my wife to take care of my children.
One day we walked in and we were handed a paper that said that my son needed to take six shots that day. he's four years old and most of the shots probably four or five of them he had already taken before.
We also noticed that on the paper on the very top it said recommended, and had six shots that were checked alongside of many others that were not checked. this is where his confusion started. So naturally as a parent, we question whether or not these recommended shots were in fact needed.
So we asked the receptionist, and the receptionist says that he didn't actually need to take one of them. so with that answer from his own staff, we naturally began to think well maybe he didn't need more than one of them since six shots in a day was pretty excessive for any parent... Let alone a four year for one day.
We then went to a government site called "http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/downloads/parent-ver-sch-0-6yrs.pdf" and immediately read that many of the shots were actually not recommended per the government site. we then asked to talk to "Dr." nagamine about the numbers of shots needed.
We waited a while and eventually got a conversation with the doctor. So we asked him about the necessity of certain shots, and then we didn't feel they were needed if my four year old had already gotten them... 6 shots?
He then proceeded to tell me that they were not recommended at all and that if we did refuse any shots that he "recommended" that we "can't do that". I then asked him well then why is the paper say "recommended"? He then said oh yeah that is weird yeah it shouldn't say recommended it should say required.
He then went into a lengthy, or what he thought was a lengthy reason of why we should not refuse any shots. It was because "I was in my own little world" and that I "shouldn't put my children and risk," and others at risk (pointing at my infant son who is supposed to also get shots that day). I then told him we are not talking about my infant son, whom I do in fact want all the shots needed today but we were talking about my four-year-old son... was this guy listening? He said "Oh" then repeated that I shouldn't because I was thinking like a narrow minded person... The "pediatrician" was still smiling while he was saying this. So I commented on the information I got from the government website. He then said be careful what you read because there is a lot of "rubbish out there".
At this point he was smiling bigger than ever.
He then went off to say that he didn't have time to give me a whole lecture and that he didn't have time too answer too many questions... He only had time to go from one room to the other without the kind of issues that was happening for him and my family... because I suppose he doesn't factor in that a family will question the word "recommended"?
He then said that we must have faith in him or any other doctor that is taking care of us for that matter. He then began telling me I should go to someone else to put my children's health in danger, cause "I was only hearing what I wanted to hear. You can clearly see why I have no faith in this man at this point in the conversation.
If I can save one set of parents from this man then my review has done it's job, be careful who your doctors are, because one day there will be a situation where they will have to break skin on your child and they will be totally offended when you ask questions about it. Be careful when your doctor does not take more than his average visit time per patient, when you start asking question. This man is not a pediatrician, he's a businessman, and he has a lot to learn.
And please take note, I am a husband, father, and customer who was simply asking questions about a paper that implied about "recommended" "booster" vaccines... unknownst to me they were mandatory? Trust me, I'll more likely be getting all the vaccines that were on that "recommended" list... somewhere else and you should too!
Unfortunately the only thing he has going for him was the insurance he was stealing from my job and his his fake smile.
Update: 6/4/13 I went to another doctor shortly after that, and I was faxed a piece of paper that said my son had no other shots to take... "Mandatory optional" Vaccines... unreal. read more
