September 1st 2008
I am frequently asked about my take on vaccination. For the record, I recommend routine childhood vaccination without any reservation.
Vaccines save millions of lives every year.
Getting your child immunized is as important as breastfeeding, protecting them from the elements, feeding them a nutritious diet, holding their hand while crossing the street etc.
For those who are concerned about the impact of multiple shots at a time, we would be happy to modify the schedule as per your request.
Additional charges may apply for the vaccine only visits as additional staff time is required to fulfill such requests.
For those who chose to not vaccinate at all, we will continue to discuss immunizations at each well visit.
We will also ask you to sign a vaccine refusal form, without any alterations.
You will be given an opportunity to write your comments on the form.
This form, signed by you and witnessed by my staff, is my only protection in case your child were to have an adverse outcome from a vaccine preventable disease.
Any alteration or tampering with the form would indicate that I am in agreement with you in not vaccinating your child.
If you do not wish to sign this form, we would respectfully ask you to find another pediatrician.
I would recommend the following websites for more information regarding vaccines and vaccine preventable diseases:
Chattahoochee Pediatrics Office Policy Regarding Childhood Immunizations
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