Vaccine Policy
Meadowbrook Pediatrics would like to ensure that all of our patients are as healthy as possible. One of the most important public health advances has been the development of vaccines, so we strongly believe that all children should be immunized. Because of vaccines, many diseases have been eliminated or have become uncommon, including polio, smallpox, diphtheria and tetanus. Scientific research has consistently shown that vaccines are safe and effective. Choosing not to vaccinate your child puts your child as well as others at risk, including family members, classmates, and other children in our waiting room.
We are making you aware of these facts not to scare you or coerce you, but to emphasize the importance of vaccinating your child. We recognize that the choice may be a very emotional one for some parents. We will do everything we can to convince you that vaccinating according to the schedule is the right thing to do. However, should you have doubts, please discuss these with your health care provider but be advised, that delaying or “breaking up the vaccines” goes against expert recommendations. This can put your child at risk for serious illness (or even death) and goes against our medical advice as providers at Meadowbrook Pediatrics. We expect you to complete the vaccines in a timely manner deemed acceptable by the provider. All patients are required to start the primary series of vaccines at the two (2) month well visit. (DtaP, Hib, Polio, Hepatitis B, pneumoccal and Rotavirus). The primary series must be completed before the child turns eight (8) months of age. Hepatitis A, MMR and Varivax must be given at the one (1) year well visit. School age boosters of MMR, Varivax, DtaP and IPV must be given before six (6) years of age. Tdap and meningitis vaccines must be given at the eleven (11) year well visit and the meningitis booster at the sixteen (16) year well visit. All vaccines should be given as stated above unless there is a medical contraindication. Please visit http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/index.html for standard schedule information.
Finally, if you should absolutely refuse to vaccinate or complete vaccinations for your child despite all our efforts, we will ask you to find another health care provider who shares your views. Please recognize that by not vaccinating you are putting your child at unnecessary risk for preventable life threatening illnesses, disability, and even death.
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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. Our medical relationship is built on trust: Trust that we have been trained well, that we follow the most up to date scientific evidence, that we are concerned about your child’s well-being, and that we will recommend the best care for each child. When a family does not trust our judgment or recommendations on something that is so well established, it creates a poor relationship. To this end, if you do not wish to immunize your child, our practice may not be a good fit for your family. 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.
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