Vaccines

Vaccination throughout childhood is essential because it helps provide immunity before children are exposed to potentially life-threatening diseases. The following Vaccine Information Statements (VIS) are produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and explain details about the disease and the vaccine. If you are unable to view the PDFs in your browser, you should install Adobe Reader. Find additional information or VIS documents translated into other languages at immunize.org/vis.

We recognize parents have an important role in healthcare decisions regarding their children including immunizations. While we respect parents’ decisions regarding immunizations, we are also responsible for the safety of all patients attending the clinic, especially in regard to exposure to communicable diseases while visiting our office.

Measles is the most highly contagious virus that presents a risk to children. A person or child infected with measles is contagious for 24 hours prior to development of symptoms. Moreover, the virus is rapidly transmitted throughout a household, a building, a clinic, or other public setting. Measles is suspended in the air and will pass through ventilation systems, even after the infected individual has left the building and remains in circulation for several hours afterward.

Risks of measles include:

• Death in 3 of every 1,000 children infected by measles.
• Encephalitis — viral infection of brain leading to permanent brain damage in 1 out of 1,000 people with measles.
• Secondary bacterial infection of blood-sepsis and lungs-pneumonia.
• Suppressed immune function for months after measles leading to increased bacterial and viral infections.
• SSPE (subacute sclerosing panencephalitis), a rare condition leading to brain deterioration, severe seizures occurring 7-10 years after measles in up to 7 out of every 100,000 people who were infected by measles.

While families have the personal choice to vaccinate or not for vaccine preventable diseases, we as a clinic must balance this choice with the need to protect our most vulnerable patients. Therefore, to protect infants and immunocompromised patients, we require the following of families who do not vaccinate with the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine:

• You agree to notify our staff of any signs of illness prior to any office visits. This can include fever, cough, runny nose, rash, or redness of eyes.
• You understand that well or non-urgent visits may be rescheduled in the events of a community outbreak of measles or concerns for measles given recent travel.
• You acknowledge that your child’s doctor has discussed the risks of choosing not to administer the vaccine including severe illness, disability, and death.

The only exception will be for children with a documented medical contraindication as recognized by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Counsel on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

The only exception will be for children with a documented medical contraindication as recognized by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and American Counsel on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

Please discuss any concerns with your child’s or children’s Primary Care Provider. Thank you for your cooperation.