Lawrence Pediatrics requires all patients to keep current on their vaccinations and well child checks. Patients who fall behind may be dismissed from the practice.
As of January 1, 2015, Lawrence Pediatrics no longer accepts patients who are not planning to vaccinate following the AAP recommended schedule. Patients who fall more than two months behind on the immunization schedule are subject to immediate dismissal from the practice.
Lawrence Pediatrics is committed to providing our patients with the best medical care possible. We believe that to do this effectively, we must enter into a partnership based on mutual trust with the parents of our patients. We believe that immunizations are one of the most important health interventions a parent can do on behalf of their children, and we want all of our patients to benefit from this modern lifesaving tool.
Lawrence Pediatrics follows the recommended childhood immunization schedule of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We feel the current immunization schedule provides the best medical care to prevent these diseases that can cause severe illness, brain damage, and death. The current immunization schedule has been thoroughly researched and has been found repeatedly to be safe and to be the best way to prevent these illnesses in young children. Delaying these immunizations puts your child at risk for developing these illnesses and does not decrease or otherwise alter the mild side effects sometimes seen from these immunizations.
We firmly believe that the current vaccines are safe and effective. Vaccines do not cause autism or developmental disabilities. The previous concerns about the association of the MMR vaccine and autism have been refuted, and multiple studies have shown this to be a safe and effective vaccine. The delay or refusal of vaccines has cause resurgence of these diseases worldwide.
We recognize that the choice to vaccinate may be a very emotional one for some parents. We will do everything we can to reassure you that vaccinating according to the schedule is the right thing to do. We will be happy to discuss any issues at each of your child's well-child exams. Separating vaccines to give over additional visits goes against expert recommendations and is not supported by any scientific data. You will be required to sign a vaccine refusal form if you choose not to follow the recommended schedule. At Lawrence Pediatrics, we feel strongly that the current schedule is the safest and most effective way to immunize your child. Any alternate schedule will be your responsibility to remember, and we require that all of the recommended infant vaccine series be completed by 18 months of age. Additionally, your child will not be eligible to utilize our walk-in clinic if undergoing an alternate schedule.
If you refuse to vaccinate according to these recommendations, we will ask you to find another health care provider who shares your views. This decision places your child at a serious health risk. As medical professionals, we feel very strongly that vaccinating all children on schedule with currently available vaccines is absolutely the right and responsible thing to do for all children.