December 2003

Ontario proposes standard that 'accepts vaccination'

The College of Chiropractors of Ontario (CCO) has drawn criticism from the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA) and doctors of chiropractic in Canada and the U.S. for its proposed standard of practice on immunization. The standard implies general approval of vaccines and prohibits doctors of chiropractic from giving any information or advice to patients about the drugs.

The CCO is the governing body established by the provincial Canadian government to regulate chiropractors in Ontario. Every chiropractor practicing in Ontario must be a registered member of the College.

The newly revised standard notes that: "The College of Chiropractors of Ontario ("CCO") accepts vaccination as a cost‑effective and clinically efficient public health preventative procedure for certain viral and microbial diseases as demonstrated by the scientific community."

It also states: "Chiropractors may express personal views about immunization/vaccination, but may not, in their professional capacity, express views about immunization/vaccination as it is outside their area of professional expertise."

When informed of the proposed standard, the WCA contacted the CCO and argued against the language used. "There is ample evidence, both scientific and anecdotal, to dispute the CCO's conclusion that vaccination is 'a cost‑effective and clinically efficient public health preventative procedure,'" the WCA board stated in a letter to the CCO.

The letter also included a lengthy list of quotes from medical doctors and researchers who have questioned the efficacy and safety of many vaccines currently marketed by the medical and pharmaceutical industries.

The WCA also pointed out that, in another section of the standard, vaccination is "outside the scope of practice of chiropractic" and considered "outside their (chiropractors') area of professional expertise."

In that case, argued the WCA, "why is the CCO presuming to give what amounts to an unqualified endorsement of vaccines? If it is not within the scope of expertise for a D.C. to speak out against mandatory vaccinations, it is surely not within the purview of the CCO to state that they are 'cost‑effective and clinically efficient.'"

The WCA letter concluded by stating: "If the CCO feels compelled to write a standard on vaccination despite its own admission of a lack of expertise in this area, it should state that no patient should be compelled or pressured to subject themselves or their children to any drug treatment, including vaccinations. Patients should, instead, be provided with all relevant information ‑‑ pro and con ‑‑ upon which they can make their own informed decisions. In order to best serve our patients, doctors of chiropractic should be encouraged to provide this information whenever appropriate."

The proposed standard was distributed in September 2003, and feedback was solicited from CCO members through October. At press time, the CCO had not released information on the type of feedback it received, or its final decision on the standard.