Texas children's hospital says it treats patients regardless of vaccination | Fact check

Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY
·2 min read

The claim: Texas Children's Pediatrics doesn't treat unvaccinated patients

A Dec. 6 Substack post (direct link, archive link) includes screenshots of several articles and a post on X about a Texas children's hospital.

"Texas Childrens (sic) Hospital Pediatric Clinics Announce they Will no Longer Treat Unvaccinated Children," reads the post's heading.

The screenshotted post on X, formerly Twitter, claims the hospital sent a message to parents saying unvaccinated children will have to find a new healthcare provider within 60 days.

Similar versions of the claim were shared on Instagram.

More from the USA TODAY Fact-Check Team:

Our rating: False

A spokesperson for the hospital said it treats patients regardless of their vaccination status and sent out no such notice. The false claim was spread by a suspended healthcare professional with a history of spreading COVID-19 misinformation.

False claim spread by suspended doctor

Though all staff and volunteers at Texas Children's Hospital are required to be vaccinated against the flu and COVID-19, there are no such requirements for patients.

A spokesperson for the hospital told USA TODAY in an email that the claim is false and that "all Texas Children’s Pediatric practices accept patients regardless of their vaccination status."

The only mention of vaccines that can be found on the hospital website is regarding vaccination schedules and scheduling vaccine appointments, not vaccination requirements for patients.

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The X post was shared by Mary Bowden, an ear, nose and throat specialist who was suspended from her job at Houston Methodist Hospital in 2021 for spreading COVID-19 misinformation and refusing to treat vaccinated patients. Bowden also falsely suggested that hospital wasn't treating unvaccinated patients, according to Houston Public Media.

The Texas Medical Board filed a formal complaint against Bowden in April for violating the standard of care when she prescribed medication to a patient in a hospital where she did not hold privileges.

USA TODAY reached out to Bowden and the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas children's hospital treats unvaccinated patients | Fact check