Scheduling an appointment with one of our providers is now as simple as 1,2,3 with our new online scheduling feature!
Scheduling an appointment with one of our providers is now as simple as 1,2,3 with our new online scheduling feature!
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 parent/care givers. The recommended vaccines and the schedules they are given are the results of years of scientific study and data-gathering on millions of children by thousands of our brightest scientists and physicians.
It is precisely because vaccines are so effective at preventing illness that parents are even discussing whether or not they should be given. Because of vaccines, many people have never seen a child with polio, tetanus, whooping cough, bacterial meningitis or even chicken pox, or known a friend or family member whose child died of one of these diseases. Such success can make us complacent about vaccinating; but such response, if it becomes widespread, can only lead to tragic results.
We are making you aware of these facts 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 provide you with information showing 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. In some rare cases, we may alter the schedule to accommodate parental concerns or reservations as long as all of the vaccines are still received by the recommended ages.
Please be advised, however, that delaying or "breaking up the vaccines" to give one or two 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. Such additional visits will require additional co-pays on your part. Furthermore, please realize that you will be required to sign a "refusal to vaccinate" acknowledgement in the event of lengthy delays.
Finally, if you should absolutely refuse to vaccinate your child, despite all our efforts, we will ask you to find another health care 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 strong that vaccinating children on schedule with currently available vaccines is absolutely the right thing to do for all children and young adults.
Thank you for your time in reading this policy, and please feel free to contact us to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about vaccines.
