Resources and Information Regarding Pediatric Care
Vaccine Policy
The providers at Premier Care Pediatrics firmly believe in the effectiveness and the safety of vaccines to prevent serious illness and to save lives in children and young adults.
Vaccines are a critical element in preventing serious disease and death as a result of infectious diseases. There have been significant advancements over the past century and many common diseases that once posed a risk to children all over the world, like polio and smallpox, have been eliminated. Scientific breakthroughs continue to enhance the quality of life of children and as a parent your pediatrician should be able to help you understand the importance of vaccinating your child so that you can make an educated choice.
Vaccine Policy
The providers at Premier Care Pediatrics firmly believe in the effectiveness and the safety of vaccines to prevent serious illness and to save lives in children and young adults.
Vaccines are a critical element in preventing serious disease and death as a result of infectious diseases. There have been significant advancements over the past century and many common diseases that once posed a risk to children all over the world, like polio and smallpox, have been eliminated. Scientific breakthroughs continue to enhance the quality of life of children and as a parent your pediatrician should be able to help you understand the importance of vaccinating your child so that you can make an educated choice.
The reason we start early in this process is that 1) the infant’s immune system is vulnerable to a variety of serious and disabling infections, and 2) the vaccines work by gradually inducing immunity through repeated doses, so their immune system can be fully ready when they may encounter the actual disease. Many parents are concerned regarding the number of vaccines in the schedule, which is reasonable. As new vaccines are developed, they may be combined in a single injection. One of the myths is that this could “overwhelm” the immune system, but studies have shown that combination vaccines do not cause any increased risk and may serve to increase the overall immune response. The recommended vaccines and the ages at which they are given are the result of years and years of scientific study and the data gathered on a million so children by many scientists and physicians.
Since the inception of our vaccine program, safety has always been a concern and despite rigorous testing many people have raised questions as to their safety. Almost every vaccine has had some false claim that it is related to a serious complication like measles and autism. 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 even discussing whether 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 know a friend or family member whose child died of one of these diseases. Such success can make us complacent or even lazy about vaccinating. But such an attitude, if it becomes widespread, can only lead to tragic results.
Furthermore, by not vaccinating your child or young adult you are taking an unfair advantage of thousands of others who do vaccinate their children, which decreases the likelihood that your child will contract one of these diseases. We are making you aware of these facts not to scare you or coerce you, but to emphasize the importance of vaccinating your child. We recognize that the choice may be very emotional for some parents. We will do everything we can to convince you that vaccinating according to schedule is the right thing to do. However, should you have doubts please discuss these with your doctor in advance of your visit. In some cases, we may alter the schedule to accommodate parental concerns or reservations. Please be advised, however, that delaying or “breaking up the vaccines” to give one or two at a time over two or more visits goes against expert recommendations, and puts your child at risk for serious illness (or even death) and goes against our medical advice as providers at Premier Care Pediatrics. Such additional visits may require additional co-pays on your part. Furthermore, please realize that you will be required to sign a “Declining of Vaccines” acknowledgement in the event of lengthy delays or the refusal of certain vaccines.
Finally, if you should absolutely refuse to vaccinate your child despite all our efforts, we ask that you find another health care provider who shares your views. We do not keep a list of such providers nor would we recommend any such physician. Please recognize that by not vaccinating, you are putting your child at an unnecessary risk for lift-threatening illness or disability, and maybe even death. Any questions you may have regarding the care of your child, including vaccination, should be addressed in a meaningful way with your provider.
**In rare cases, certain disease processes may compromise or weaken the immune system and it may be necessary to avoid live vaccines for a short period of time. The provider will always assess each patient and recommend the safest course of action when vaccinating your child. **
Vaccine Management
At Premier Care Pediatrics we take not only vaccine education seriously, but also the management of our vaccine program in the office very seriously. Temperature must be monitored and kept within acceptable ranges, so the vaccine is both safe and effective. We have gone to great lengths to exceed those standards using the latest technology. Power outages can occur and cause the vaccine to fall out of range for brief periods of time. There are a number systems we employ to assure vaccine temperature is managed at a constant temperature and in applying a system of “real time” temperature monitoring and we are alerted immediately, 24/7, of any problems related to storage of our vaccine supply. We also have a back up power supply should there be a loss of power to the office. We have taken these steps to maintain quality standards in vaccine safety so that there is no compromise in the vaccines stored in our facility.
We are proud of all the added safety precautions we take so that you can feel confident in the care you receive at our office in all areas, but particularly in vaccine management and safety.
We have a remote temperature monitoring system for our vaccines. Monitoring vaccines is a requirement by the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS). At Premier Care Pediatrics we have taken it a step further in having round the clock monitoring of our vaccine stock through our remote temperature system to ensure the safety of the products that we use for our patients.