The doctors at Pediatric Healthcare believe that immunizations are healthy and safe for your child. We welcome any questions you may have about them and encourage you to discuss with us any concerns you may have about immunizations. We generally follow the schedule recommended by the Vaccine Advisory Committee, a division of the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
After thoroughly reviewing the research, we believe immunizations are safe for your young infant. Although a baby may occasionally have some fussiness or fever for 24-48 hours after the shots, there is no convincing evidence that immunizations cause injury, such as autism or developmental delay. There is also no evidence that fewer shots per visit or spreading the injections over time will lessen any risk to your baby. However, we want you to feel comfortable with any treatment we recommend for your child, so please discuss your concerns with us. If you would rather delay a vaccination, we are willing, but we cannot sign an official Blue Slip (often required by daycares) indicating your baby’s shots are up-to-date if they are not.
If you elect to delay the immunizations, we prefer that all immunizations be given at regular well visits and not scattered between the visits. As you can imagine, giving single vaccinations between regular visits at randomly preferred intervals can create chaos and confusion. Also, please realize that delaying immunizations does place your baby at risk for catching the disease for which the immunization has been delayed.
Again, we always want you to be comfortable with any treatment we recommend, and we are willing to work with you in any practical way possible. Thank you for the privilege of caring for your family.
Sincerely,
Den A. Trumbull, MD
L. David Perry, MD
RachelAnn Burkett, MD
Madeline Hitt, CPNP
Read more about vaccines on our Immunizations webpage.