Immunization Policy

The Pediatric Center strives to provide the most comprehensive and evidence-based medicine to care for your child and your family. Our practice has followed and will continue to follow the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and AAP advocated Recommended Immunization Schedule for Children and Adolescents Aged 18 years or Younger published yearly to achieve the goal of universal immunization. This schedule has been thoroughly researched and is the only accepted immunization schedule that enables the pediatricians and providers in our practice to fully provide universal immunization and protection for your children and the families in the community we serve.

In the case where vaccines cannot be given for medical reasons, having the rest of our patients fully immunized will help protect those children whose immune systems cannot be vaccinated at a given time.

As champions of fully immunized infants, children and adolescents, The Pediatric Center providers’ role will be to discuss recommended vaccines at each and every visit. This includes both checkups and often at sick visits with the effort to keep your child on schedule and catch up those who need it using the CDC Catch-up Immunization Schedule. If you choose not to fully immunize your child, you will be asked to complete the Refusal to Vaccinate Form at every visit when vaccines are discussed and not given.

The role of the providers in our practice is to advocate for the health of your child, respectfully listen to any concerns, effectively communicate, and inform. Due to the risks of unvaccinated children for the patients in our practice and the families of our staff, we will continue to address immunization catch-up at patient visits. It is our expectation all communication will be respectful for both providers and parents and guardians alike. If this cannot be achieved, this may result in dismissal from the practice.

While we continue to advocate for the health of the children and families in our practice, universal immunization continues to be our focus and primary goal. We recommend careful consideration of the evidence-based views of our practice towards a healthy community as you consider choosing your pediatrician.