Health Highlights: Sept. 13, 2016

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Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Medical Board Charges Controversial Pediatrician With Negligence

A California pediatrician known for unorthodox views on child vaccinations is facing disciplinary action from the state’s medical board for charges of gross negligence.

According to CNN, the board took the action after pediatrician Bob Sears recommended that a 2-year-old be excused from all future immunizations based on a mother’s description of her child’s past response to vaccines.

According to Sears’ records, the mother said her toddler “shut down stools and urine” and became limp “like a rag doll” for 24 hours after a shot, CNN said.

The medical board said that Sears’ action is a departure from standard medical care and also said he failed to keep adequate medical records.

“We’ve received a complaint on this issue, and it seems to be valid, and we are going to be moving forward on this,” board spokeswoman Cassandra Hockenson told CNN.

Sears is the author of a 2011 book, “The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child.” In it, he proposes a vaccination schedule that differs from that recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Under California state law, child vaccination is mandatory, with no exceptions for excluding children based on parents’ personal beliefs.

The California medical board also cites other complaints of negligence by Sears. In one charge, a patient was prescribed garlic to treat an upper respiratory illness; in another, Sears failed to conduct neurological testing for a child hit by a hammer, CNN said.

Hockenson stressed that removal of Sears’ medical license is only seen as a last resort. “The biggest weapon we have is to take away someone’s medical license,” she said. “We always try to get a settlement.”

Sears did not respond to a request for comment from CNN.

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