We firmly believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and to save lives.
We firmly believe in the safety of our vaccines.
We firmly believe that all children and young adults should receive all of their recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
We firmly believe, based on all available literature, evidence, and current studies, that vaccines do not cause autism or other developmental disabilities.
We firmly believe that vaccinating children and young adults may be the single most important health-promoting intervention we perform as health care providers, and that you can perform as parents/caregivers. The recommended vaccines and their schedule are the result of years and years of scientific study and data gathering on millions of children by thousands of our brightest scientists and physicians.
We therefore are not accepting new patients who are unvaccinated, or inadequately vaccinated patients whose parents are opting not to further vaccinate their child. We do not recommend spaced or delayed vaccine schedules. Doing so goes against expert recommendations and can put your child at risk for serious illness. Should that be your preference, or you have questions about such, please call and schedule an appointment with your preferred provider to discuss this in more detail in advance of your child’s next wellness appointment.
We recognize that the choice to vaccinate may be a very emotional one for parents. Questioning of vaccines dates back centuries. Indeed, Benjamin Franklin, persuaded by his brother, was opposed to a smallpox vaccine until scientific data convinced him otherwise. Tragically, he had delayed immunizing his favorite son Franky, who contracted smallpox and died at the age of 4, leaving Ben with a lifetime of guild and remorse. Quoting Mr. Franklin’s autobiography:
“In 1736, I lost one of my sons, a fine boy of four years old, by the smallpox… I long regretted bitterly, and still regret that I had not given it to him by inoculation. This I mention for the sake of parents who omit that operation, on the supposition that they should never forgive themselves if a child died under it, my example showing that the regret may be the same either way, and that, therefore, the safer should be chosen.”
The vaccine campaign is truly a victim of its own success. It is precisely because vaccines are so effective against preventing illness that we are even discussing whether or not they should be given. Because of vaccines, many of you have never seen a child with polio, tetanus, whooping cough, bacterial meningitis, or even chickenpox, or known a friend or family member whose child died of one of these diseases. Such success can make us complacent or even lazy about vaccinating. But such an attitude, if it becomes widespread, can only lead to tragic results.
Since the turn of the century, many people in the U.S. and developed nations abroad have chosen not to vaccinate their children with the MMR vaccine after publication of an unfounded suspicion (later retracted) that the vaccine caused autism. As a result of under-immunization, there have been outbreaks of measles and several deaths from complications of measles.
We are making you aware of these facts to emphasize the importance of vaccinating your child. We will do everything we can to provide you with all the information you need to be as confident as we are in the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.
As medical professionals, we feel very strongly that vaccinating children on schedule with currently available vaccines is absolutely the right thing to do for all children and young adults, except in rare cases where a medical condition precludes this. Thank you for your time in reading this policy, and please feel free to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about vaccines with any one of our providers.