At Kids First Pediatrics, we firmly believe:
- in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and to save lives
- in the safety of our vaccines
- 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.
- based on an abundance of medical evidence, vaccines do not cause autism or developmental disabilities
- vaccinating children and young adults may be the single most important health-promoting intervention that we perform as health providers and that you can perform as parents/caregivers. The recommended vaccines and the schedule of their administration are the results of years of scientific study and data gathering on millions of children by thousands of our brightest scientists and physicians.
Unfortunately, the vaccine campaign is truly a victim of its own success. Because of vaccines, most parents have never seen a child with polio, tetanus, whooping cough, bacterial meningitis, or even chickenpox. Most people have never had to suffer the loss of a friend or family member due to one of these diseases. Such successes can make us complacent about the need for vaccination.
We are committed to practice medicine in compliance with the evidence based guidelines established by groups of experts such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. We have a firm policy on vaccination as we believe so strongly in the safety and efficacy of vaccines. Furthermore, we also have a duty to protect our community as well as our patients who are unable to receive certain vaccines (either due to young age or due to being immunocompromised, etc).
It is for these reasons that Kids First Pediatrics requires all patients to be vaccinated according to the recommended schedule. While we are happy to answer questions and discuss the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, if parents chose to not begin routine vaccinations by the time their child is 6 months old, they will be expected to find a different primary care office. We will not accept new patient families with no intention of vaccinating.
All new patients must provide Kids First with a copy of their vaccination record before they can be seen in our office.
We encourage any parent who wants to learn more to visit the following websites with reliable, scientific information to explain all aspects of vaccines – from manufacturing, to how they work to protect children, to data regarding safety and efficacy.
Find vaccine education here:
- Clear Answers and Smart Advice About Your Baby’s Shots,”
an excerpt from the popular book “Baby 411” by Dr. Ari Brown – www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2068.pdf - Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia – vec.chop.edu
- CDC.gov
- AAp.org
