We strongly agree with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that childhood vaccines are critical to maintaining healthy children and communities. As medical professionals, we believe that vaccinating children following the recommended schedule with currently available vaccines is absolutely the right thing to do for all children and young adults.
- We firmly believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and 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 studied and published by the AAP and CDC.
- We firmly believe, based on all available literature, evidence, and current studies, that vaccine do 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 healthcare providers, and that you can perform as a parent/caregivers.
Our policy is that:
- We adhere to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) immunization guidelines.
- We do not follow “alternative schedules”. If you are unable to adhere to the recommended schedule we will ask you to find another provider.
- For the safety of all patients and staff, if your child is currently a patient and not vaccinated or under vaccinated, you will be asked to complete the recommended vaccine schedule in the next 6 months or we will ask you to find another provider.
- If a patient has received a vaccine exemption from the State of Mississippi Health Department, we will honor that exemption.
- If a patient is not vaccinated or is under vaccinated, we would ask that they remain in their car if they have any symptoms of illness and not enter the building until they are contacted by a member of the medical team. This reduces their risk as well as other patients’ risk of being exposed to a vaccine preventable illness.
- We recognize that the choice to vaccinate your child may be a very emotional one for some parents. We are committed to providing up to date resources for your questions and concerns.
The vaccine campaign is truly a victim of its own success. It is precisely because vaccines are so effective at preventing illness that we are discussing whether or not they should be given. Because of vaccines, many of you have never seen a child with polio, tetanus, whooping cough, bacterial meningitis or even chicken pox, or known a friend or family member whose child died of one of these preventable diseases. Such success can make us complacent about vaccinating. Such an attitude, if it becomes widespread, can lead to tragic results. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.