VACCINES

 

There has been much controversy and misinformation about vaccines over the past decade. There has never been a peer-reviewed study showing a link between autism and vaccines. There are at least 14 scientifically sound, peer-reviewed studies showing NO association between vaccines and autism.

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The vaccine campaign is truly a victim of its own success.  Because vaccines are so effective at preventing illness is the very reason that this debate continues.  Many of you have never seen a child with polio, tetanus, whooping cough, meningitis or even chicken pox.  This dramatic success can make us complacent about vaccinating.  This attitude if widespread can only lead to tragic results. 

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Each year there are outbreaks within the United States of illnesses such as Measles. These outbreaks typically occur in clusters of people who are unvaccinated. So to dismiss the importance of vaccinations, because these illness are now rare, is dangerous. It is dangerous to your child, your family and your community.

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With that being said:

• We firmly believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and save lives.

• We firmly believe in the safety of our vaccines.

• The recommended vaccines and their schedule are the results of many years of  scientific study and data-gathering on millions of children by thousands of our brightest scientists and physicians.

• We firmly believe that all children and young adults should receive the recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control and 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 thimerosal, a preservative that was used in vaccines for decades, but is rarely used anymore, does not cause autism or other developmental disabilities.

• We firmly believe that vaccinating children and young adults is the single most important intervention we perform as health care providers. 

 

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 the choice may be an emotional one for some parents. We will do everything we can do to convince you that vaccinating according to the CDC schedule is the right thing to do. In limited cases, we may slightly alter the immunization schedule. However, “breaking up the vaccines”  to give one or two at a time goes against expert recommendations and can put your child at risk for serious illness and death. We will not administer separate vaccines that are available in a combination, such as Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR).  

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Finally, if you absolutely refuse to vaccinate your child despite all our efforts, we will ask you to find another practice that shares your philosophy. We feel strongly that vaccinating children on schedule with currently available vaccines is absolutely the right thing to do for all children and young adults. Please feel free to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your child's provider.   

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