We at Post Road Pediatrics believe that fully vaccinating your child is one of the most important things we can do to protect your child’s health. We understand there are differing opinions surrounding childhood immunizations and that there is a lot of discussion about vaccines among parents and on the internet. We firmly believe in the safety of childhood vaccines and believe the schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is the best way to prevent serious illness and save lives.
There is no alternative immunization schedule recommended by the CDC or the AAP, so Post Road Pediatrics, LLP does not endorse any “alternative” vaccine schedule. Further, there is no proven benefit to splitting vaccines. We believe that splitting vaccines can lead to medical errors, and leaves the under-vaccinated child at risk for preventable disease. In addition, it risks the health and well-being of other children in our practice that may come in contact with your child. We would be happy to discuss your individual concerns about immunization. We will do what we can to make you feel comfortable with the decision to vaccinate your child according to the recommended schedule.
In some rare cases, we may agree to alter the immunization schedule if the following is in place:
- You must provide us with a written plan for immunizations for your child that will become a permanent part of his/her medical record.
- You will include in your plan a signed waiver stating that you are aware of the potential risks including, but not limited to, decreased immunity to potentially life-threatening illnesses, as well as the lack of medical benefit in splitting shots.
- You agree to specifically tell all physicians and nursing staff at Post Road Pediatrics that your child is not fully immunized whenever you are in the office or calling with a question.
- You understand that variation from the recommended vaccine schedule may result in additional visits to the office for your child that will be billed as office visits and may require additional insurance co-pays or costs to your family.
- You understand that you may revisit this decision and pursue the routine immunization schedule for your child at any time in the future.
Families who refuse to vaccinate their children according to the above or fail to adhere to their agreed upon alternate schedule may be asked to leave the practice.