The Oregon Medical Board has suspended the license of Portland Dr. Paul Thomas, citing multiple cases in which he allegedly failed to adequately vaccinate patients, including one involving a child who contracted tetanus and required hospitalization.
According to last week’s order, the medical board can temporarily suspend a medical license without a hearing when it has evidence that a doctor’s continued practice constitutes an immediate danger to the public, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.
The medical board wrote: “The Board finds that Licensee’s conduct has breached the standard of care and has placed the health and safety of many of his patients at serious risk of harm.”
Thomas, who practices in the Portland area, had a history of misleading parents, the board found.
The Oregonian/Oregon Live reported that Thomas’ office, Integrative Pediatrics on Barnes Road, did not respond to a request for comment. His office also did not respond to an email and phone call seeking comment from The Associated Press.
Thomas published an “alternative vaccination schedule,” the order said, which “fraudulently asserts that following his vaccine schedule will prevent or decrease the incidence of autism and other developmental disorders.”
Studies have shown no link between vaccines and autism.
Thomas promotes his “Dr. Paul approved” vaccine schedule, which can leave children exposed to “multiple potentially debilitating and life-threatening illnesses,” according to the board.
The order said Thomas repeatedly misled parents about vaccines. In one example, “Patient A’s mother requested polio and rotavirus vaccinations for Patient A according to CDC Recommendations, but Licensee did not have those vaccines in the clinic.”
Thomas then questioned the woman about why she wanted the polio vaccine and “continually connected vaccines (not specific) with autism” and “asked her how awful she would feel if Patient A got autism and she could have prevented it,” according to the order.
The board also cited the case of a boy who was hospitalized with tetanus and was “completely non-immunized.”
“Patient D sustained a large, deep scalp laceration at home in a farm setting on August 8, 2017,” the order said, “and was treated with colloidal silver and with his parents suturing the wound independently.”
The boy developed such a severe case of tetanus he required “intubation, tracheotomy, feeding tube placement and an almost two-month ICU stay at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital,” the order said. “Licensee’s care placed Patient D at serious risk of harm and constitutes gross negligence.”
Thomas has the right to request a formal hearing in writing to contest his suspension, according to the order.
