Vaccination Policy – Effective Jan 1, 2020
We, as physicians, know that vaccines protect children from illness. They work by introducing a tiny weakened or inactivated portion of an infectious organism to train your child’s immune system to later reject a real infection. Vaccines protect children from diseases and the potentially severe consequences of disease that include tragic outcomes such as brain damage and even death.
Immunizing your baby chooses a healthier future for not only your baby but also for those around you. Parents need to understand that unimmunized children put not only themselves at risk for very serious infections, but also put others at risk. Since most diseases are contagious before symptoms develop, they may unknowingly put others around them at risk for developing diseases and having serious complications.
West Coast Pediatrics feels very strongly that immunization is safe, necessary and in the best interest of your baby/child (with very rare exception). Those of us who have children have given our own children all of the vaccines we are recommending for your child.
Sadly, we have started to see cases of diseases that we once regarded as rare. This has forced a change in our policy. We can no longer allow personal choice to override responsibility to the rest of society.
At each well-child visit we will examine your child, review their history and recommend the immunizations that are appropriate and necessary. We are happy to answer your questions and concerns, but feel that it is our medical duty to your child as well as our responsibility to society to fully vaccinate all children.
For more information about vaccines:
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/default.htm
http://www.vaccinateyourbaby.org/safe/autism/overburdening.cfm
http://www.vaccineinformation.org
Free iPhone/android App called “Vaccines on the Go: What You Should Know”
