We firmly believe in the following:
-the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent
serious illness and to save lives.
-the safety of our vaccines.
-that all children and young adults should
receive all of the recommended vaccines according to the
schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
-based on all available literature, evidence,
and current studies, vaccines do not cause autism
or other developmental disabilities.
-thimerosal, a preservative that has been in vaccines for
decades and remains in some vaccines, does not cause
autism or other developmental disabilities.
-that vaccinating children and young adults
may be the single most important health-promoting intervention we perform as healthcare providers, and that you
can perform as parents/caregivers.
The recommended vaccines and the vaccine schedule are the results of years and years of scientific study and data gathering on millions
of children by thousands of our brightest scientists and
physicians.
This said, we recognize that there has always been and will
likely always be controversy surrounding vaccination.
The vaccine campaign is truly a victim of its own success.
It is precisely because vaccines are so effective at 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.
By not vaccinating, you also take selfish advantage of thousands of others who do vaccinate their children, thereby decreasing the likelihood that your child will contract a vaccine preventable disease. We feel that refusing to vaccinate is self-centered and unacceptable.
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 healthcare provider in advance
of your visit. Please be advised, however, that delaying or “breaking up the vaccines” to give one or two at a time over two or more visits goes
against expert recommendations, and can put your child at
risk for serious illness (or even death) and goes against our
medical advice as providers at Chesapeake Pediatrics.
Such additional visits will require additional co-pays on your
part.
Because we are committed to protecting the health of your
children through vaccination, we require all of our patients to
be vaccinated. Infants will receive all age-appropriate recommended vaccines by two months of age, with additional
recommended vaccines as well as booster doses by two years
of age. Children will receive additional recommended booster
doses by the time they are seven years old, and will be given
recommended 11–12-year preteen vaccinations by the time
they are 13 years old.
Finally, if you should absolutely refuse to vaccinate your child
despite all our efforts, we will ask you to find another healthcare provider who shares your views. We do not keep a list of
such providers, nor would we recommend any such physician.
Please recognize that by not vaccinating, you are putting
your child at unnecessary risk for life-threatening illness and
disability, and even death.
As medical professionals, we feel very strongly that vaccinating
your child on schedule with currently available vaccines is
absolutely the right thing to do to protect all children and
young adults. Thank you for taking the time to read this policy.
Please feel free to discuss any questions or concerns you
may have about vaccines with any one of us.
Sincerely,
Chesapeake Pediatrics
