VACCINES
Policy Statement
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 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 has been removed from most vaccines, does 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 given are the results
of years and years of scientific studies and data gathering on millions of children by thousands of our brightest scientists and physicians.
These things being 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 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, bacterial meningitis,
or even chickenpox, or known a friend or family member whose child died of one these diseases. Such success can make us complacent
vaccinating. But such an attitude, if it becomes widespread, can only lead to tragic results.
Over the past several years, many people in Europe have chosen not to vaccinate their children with the MMR vaccine after publication
of an unfounded suspicion based on a fraudulent study (later retracted) that the vaccine caused autism. As a result of underimmunization,
there have been several outbreaks of measles in the past few years resulting in several deaths; at the same time, the rate of autism did not
decrease.
By not vaccinating your child you are benefitting from the thousands of others who do vaccinate their children, which decreases the
likelihood that your child will contract one of these diseases while simultaneously putting other children at risk. We are making you aware
of these facts not to scare you, but to emphasize the importance of vaccinating your child. We recognize that the choice can be a difficult
and emotional one for some parents. Should you have concerns or doubts, please discuss these with us at the time of your visit. In some
cases, we may be able to alter the schedule to accommodate concerns. However, be advised that delaying immunizations goes against
expert recommendations, and could put your child at risk for serious illness (including death and disability). If you should absolutely refuse to
vaccinate your child, we will ask you to find another health care provider who shares your views. We do not keep a list of such providers.
As medical professionals, we feel very strongly that vaccinating children on schedule with currently available vaccines is absolutely the right
thing to do. Thank you for your time in reading this policy, and please feel free discuss any questions or concerns you may have about any
vaccines with us.
Vaccines: Facts, Myths and More
WHAT IS A VACCINE?
A vaccine is a tiny amount of a killed or “purified” virus or bacteria that stimulates our immune system to build a protection against that
particular disease.
IS IT SAFE FOR MY CHILD TO RECEIVE A VACCINE?
YES. Vaccines have been shown to prevent many dangerous infections and have relatively few side effects, the most common of which are fever
and soreness at the injection site.
WHY ARE VACCINES GIVEN TO BABIES?
There are certain dangerous infections that can hurt children as early as the first few months of life.
IS IT SAFE TO GIVE MORE THAN ONE VACCINE AT A TIME?
YES. In fact, certain combination vaccines such as the MMR vaccine decrease the number of shots a baby needs to have.
CAN VACCINES OVERLOAD A CHILD’S IMMUNE SYSTEM?
NO. Vaccines only contain tiny amounts of viruses or bacteria compared to the large amount of germs a child comes into contact with every
day on a regular basis. Therefore, a healthy child’s immune system should have no problem at all handling the vaccinations even when several
vaccines are given during a single doctor visit.
IF ALL OF THE OTHER CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY
ARE VACCINATED, THEN WHY SHOULD I VACCINATE MY CHILD?
Even though many children are vaccinated, diseases still exist. With increased international travel it is quite common for many diseases to be
brought into our community. Not vaccinating leaves your child defenseless against these illnesses as well as increases the chance for your child
to spread these diseases to other young or unvaccinated children.
CAN VACCINES CAUSE AUTISM?
NO. There have been numerous studies involving hundreds of thousands of children across three continents, all demonstrating that there is no
relationship or link between any component of any vaccine and autism.
ARE THERE ANY RISKS FROM VACCINE PRESERVATIVES
SUCH AS THIMEROSAL AND MERCURY?
NO. There is no evidence that thimerosal or mercury in vaccines has ever caused any harm to children. Nevertheless, as of 2001 thimerosal and
mercury have been removed from vaccines and vaccines today contain little or no thimerosal or mercury.
VACCINES AND PREVENTABLE
DISEASES IN CHILDREN
HEPATITIS A
This infection causes loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, jaundice (yellow skin and eyes), bleeding problems, fever and
headaches. It may cause prolonged weakness and serious illness in individuals already suffering from liver disease.
HEPATITIS B
This infection can lead to vomiting, stomach pain, jaundice (yellow skin and eyes), permanent liver damage, liver cancer, cirrhosis and death.
Approximately 25% of children who develop lifelong hepatitis B infection die of related liver disease as adults.
DTAP (DIPHTHERIA, TETANUS, PERTUSSIS)
This vaccine works to prevent three infections.
- Measles (rubeola) cause runny nose, cough, conjunctivitis, rash, pneumonia, ear infections, brain damage, seizures and death. It is
estimated that if the measles vaccine were stopped, approximately 2.7 million people would die worldwide. - Mumps cause swollen glands, headaches, deafness, brain damage, meningitis, swelling of the testicles and sterility in males.
- Rubella (German Measles) causes fever, rash, swollen glands, birth defects such as deafness, blindness, mental retardation and heart
defects, and can cause miscarriage and premature birth in pregnant women. Prior to this vaccine rubella affected over 20,000
newborns over half of which were deaf and with many suffering from blindness and mental retardation.
HIB (HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE TYPE B)
YES. In fact, certain combination vaccines such as the MMR vaccine decrease the number of shots a baby needs to have.
GARDASIL (HPV)
NO. Vaccines only contain tiny amounts of viruses or bacteria compared to the large amount of germs a child comes into contact with every
day on a regular basis. Therefore, a healthy child’s immune system should have no problem at all handling the vaccinations even when several
vaccines are given during a single doctor visit.
INFLUENZA
Even though many children are vaccinated, diseases still exist. With increased international travel it is quite common for many diseases to be
brought into our community. Not vaccinating leaves your child defenseless against these illnesses as well as increases the chance for your child
to spread these diseases to other young or unvaccinated children.
IPV (POLIO)
NO. There have been numerous studies involving hundreds of thousands of children across three continents, all demonstrating that there is no
relationship or link between any component of any vaccine and autism.
MENACTRA (MENINGOCOCCAL)
NO. There is no evidence that thimerosal or mercury in vaccines has ever caused any harm to children. Nevertheless, as of 2001 thimerosal and
mercury have been removed from vaccines and vaccines today contain little or no thimerosal or mercury.
MMR (MEASLES, MUMPS, RUBELLA)
This vaccine works to prevent three infections.
- Diphtheria may cause a sore throat, suffocation, paralysis, heart failure, coma and even death. Before the vaccine, diphtheria caused
more than 15,000 deaths in children each year. - Tetanus causes severe muscle spasms (including the mouth and jaw), breathing problems, severe heart damage, lung infections, coma
and death. - Pertussis causes “Whooping Cough.” It may lead to severe coughing, pneumonia, seizures, brain damage, and death. Pre-vaccine, over
200,000 cases and up to 9,000 deaths were reported each year.
PREVNAR (PNEUMOCOCCUS)
This infection leads to ear infections, sinus infections, pneumonia, meningitis, sepsis (infection of the blood) and brain damage.
ROTATEQ (ROTAVIRUS)
This infection may include fever vomiting, upset stomach, and watery diarrhea that can last from 3 to 9 days, and can quickly lead to
dehydration (loss of body fluids).
VARICELLA (CHICKEN POX)
This causes an itchy rash with many sores and may lead to lung damage, brain damage and death. Prior to this vaccine approximately 4 million
people got chicken pox, causing 11,000 hospitalizations and 100 deaths each year
