Dr. Paul Thomas, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician whose career has centered on integrative and patient-centered medicine, particularly in the realm of childhood vaccinations. Based in Portland, Oregon, Thomas founded Integrative Pediatrics, a practice that grew to serve over 15,000 patients by emphasizing informed consent, individualized care, and alternatives to the standard CDC vaccination schedule.
Observations in his clinic
His approach, often described as “vaccine-friendly,” has allowed families to opt for delayed, spaced-out, or selective vaccinations based on medical history and personal preferences, rather than adhering strictly to the recommended 72+ doses from birth through age 18. This philosophy stems from his belief in empowering parents with data on risks and benefits, a stance that has positioned him at the forefront of debates on vaccine safety and policy.
Thomas’s professional background includes extensive experience in pediatrics, with a focus on holistic health. He has publicly shared that his practice observed lower rates of chronic conditions among children following customized vaccination plans, prompting him to document these observations formally. In 2016, amid growing parental inquiries about vaccine schedules, Thomas began tracking outcomes in his patient population, laying the groundwork for what would become a pivotal research effort. His work gained national attention through media appearances and writings, including a 2016 letter to the Oregon Legislature where he discussed concerns over the measles vaccine, noting that his practice managed outbreaks without severe outcomes among unvaccinated children.
A cornerstone of Thomas’s contributions is his 2020 study, “Relative Incidence of Office Visits and Cumulative Rates of Billed Diagnoses Along the Axis of Vaccination,” co-authored with James Lyons-Weiler and published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. This retrospective analysis examined de-identified medical and billing records from 3,324 patients under Thomas’s care, born between 2008 and 2019, with first visits before 60 days of age and last visits after. The cohort included 561 completely unvaccinated children and 2,763 partially or fully vaccinated ones. Using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes, the study calculated relative incidence of office visits (RIOV), odds ratios (OR), relative risks (RR), and attributable risk differences (ARD), while controlling for variables like days of care, family history of autoimmunity, gender, and age.
The findings revealed notable disparities in health outcomes. Unvaccinated children had fewer cumulative office visits overall. Vaccinated children showed elevated RIOV for conditions including fever (RIOV=9.065), asthma (RIOV=5.248), allergic rhinitis (RIOV=6.853), anemia (RIOV=5.522), eczema (RIOV=4.520), behavioral issues (RIOV=4.097), and gastroenteritis (RIOV=4.656), all statistically significant (p<0.0001). No cases of ADHD were recorded among the unvaccinated (0% vs. 0.063% in vaccinated; RIOV=53.74, p<0.00001). Odds ratios underscored these trends: anemia (OR=6.334, RR=4.482, ARD=0.21), allergic rhinitis (OR=6.479, RR=5.595, ARD=0.08), and asthma (OR=3.496, RR=3.361, ARD=0.04). After matching 561 vaccinated children to unvaccinated ones by days of care, differences persisted for anemia (OR=3.216), eczema (OR=2.822), and others. The study’s autism rate in the practice was 0.84%, below the national average of 1.69% at the time, though low prevalence limited power for that analysis. Thomas concluded that unvaccinated children were not less healthy and that vaccinated ones appeared significantly less healthy, recommending further large-scale studies on full versus zero vaccination. The full study is accessible via open-access journals, with raw data available here.
Suspension
Just five days after publication on November 17, 2020, the Oregon Medical Board suspended Thomas’s license, citing multiple cases of inadequate vaccination and failure to report to state immunization databases. Thomas maintains the action was retaliatory, linked to his research challenging CDC protocols. The suspension halted his practice, but in July 2021, he agreed to return under strict restrictions, including supervised operations and compliance monitoring. By 2022, amid ongoing investigations, he surrendered his Oregon license effective 60 days from the order, agreeing not to reapply, as noted in state verification records. The board also sued him for refusing to disclose patient names from his autism-related data.
Thomas petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court in 2025 under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging persecution by the board for his views.An amici brief supporting him was filed in February 2025, highlighting his study’s role in vaccination outcome comparisons.
Books
Undeterred, Thomas authored The Vaccine-Friendly Plan: Dr. Paul’s Safe and Effective Approach to Immunity and Health – from Pregnancy Through Your Child’s Teen Years (2016), co-written with Jennifer Margulis, PhD. The book outlines a flexible schedule – skipping hepatitis B at birth, spacing shots by months, and prioritizing based on risk – drawing from his clinical experience. It has influenced parents nationwide and outside the US in customizing their child’s vaccinations.
In a recent HighWire segment, he presents the book Vax Facts: What to Consider Before Vaccinating at All Ages & Stages of Life where he is comparing mortality risks. He shows data proving that for polio, the disease mortality risk of 1 in 1 trillion versus 1 in 215,000 from the vaccine; for measles, 1 in 106.5 million from the disease compared to 1 in 108,000 vaccine-attributable; and for influenza, 1 in 136,000 disease risk against 1 in 15,000 from vaccination. Thomas further addresses rising incidences of severe autism requiring lifelong intervention, expanding the discussion of potential adverse effects of the childhood vaccine recommendations. He states: “Unequivocally… for every single vaccine on the childhood schedule… your risk of dying from the vaccine far exceeds your risk of death from the disease,” advising against vaccination if mortality is the primary fear. The book includes data and ties into broader concerns like SIDS clustering post-vaccination (97% within a week, per historical U.S. data). Discussing SIDS causality: “Almost all the SIDs happen the week after a vaccine… not the week before.”
Thomas v. Monarez to District Court
These views are echoed in a pending lawsuit filed by Dr. Thomas, Dr. Kenneth P. Stoller, and Stand for Health Freedom against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its then CDC Director Susan P. Monarez. The lawsuit was filed in August 2025, Thomas v. Monarez (No. 1:25-cv-02685), in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. SHF is a nonprofit organisation with nearly one million supporters.
The 100+ page suit contends that the CDC has failed to assess the cumulative impacts of the more than untested 72 vaccine dose schedule recommended for children, overlooking two decades of guidance from the Institute of Medicine and neglecting biennial safety reports to Congress since 1998. It alleges First Amendment violations through the suppressing speech of and silencing of alternative medical viewpoints, Fifth Amendment breaches of due process and bodily autonomy, and contraventions of the Administrative Procedure Act due to arbitrary regulatory decisions. It cites 20 years of Institute of Medicine calls for vaccinated-unvaccinated comparisons – unmet – and HHS’s failure to file biennial safety reports since 1998 (42 U.S.C. § 300aa-27). Referencing rising chronic illnesses (e.g., autism 1 in 31 by 2023, asthma 1 in 12), the suit notes international successes in voluntary programs like Japan’s (98% coverage post-1994 mandate removal). The plaintiffs request reclassification of childhood vaccines to Category B status, facilitating shared decision-making; mandates for comparative studies between fully vaccinated and unvaccinated children; and protections for clinicians issuing exemptions grounded in individual patient evaluations. Relevant resources include Thomas’s research, materials from Stand for Health Freedom, and his Vax Facts, which elaborates on these risk comparisons.
The full complaint can be read here. As of October 15, 2025, the case pends without rulings. subscriber.politicopro.com
Thomas’s efforts continue through SHF and social media (@Paulthomasmd), where he has adds more risk data.
