Immunization Policy Statement

Dear Children's Clinic Patients,

We stand behind immunizations.

We are confident in the effectiveness of immunizations in preventing serious illness and saving lives. Immunizations are safe, and it has been proven that they do not cause autism or other developmental disabilities. 

We firmly believe that all children and adolescents should receive vaccines according to the schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control.

Delaying or "breaking up the immunizations" to give one or two at a time goes against expert recommendations, places your child at risk for serious illness (or even death), and goes against our medical advice. The recommended immunization schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics is the result of years of scientific study. “Alternative” vaccine schedules endanger the lives of children by leaving them less protected at young and vulnerable ages.      

Immunizations protect your friends and our community.

By not immunizing your child, you are jeopardizing the health of our community and placing vulnerable children at greater risk. An unimmunized child can carry and spread life-threatening germs to others. Children at increased risk of getting sick include newborns, young children who have not yet completed their immunizations, children with immunodeficiency who are unable to receive all the immunizations, and some children with cancer. Pregnant women are also at increased risk. We interact with all of these individuals in our waiting rooms and exam rooms.      We believe it is our job to protect these vulnerable individuals in our community.     

Immunizations are a safe way to protect your child from deadly diseases. 

Because immunizations are so effective at preventing illness, many of you have never seen a child with polio, tetanus, whooping cough, bacterial meningitis, or even chickenpox, or known a friend or family member whose child died of one of these diseases. However, since many children have not been immunized over the past several years, some of these diseases are now making a comeback. Montana has seen outbreaks of pertussis ("whooping cough") and measles. Measles cases in the US are the highest they have been in 20 years. In other countries, there has also been a rise in polio – a disease that has not been seen in the United States since 1979. In a world connected by plane travel, it will take just one traveler to risk the resurgence of polio in the United States.      

Immunizations are a safe and important part of your child's health.

We firmly believe that immunizing children and young adults may be the single most important health-promoting intervention we perform as health care providers and that you can perform as parents/caregivers.

We are making you aware of these facts not to scare you, but to emphasize the importance of immunizing your child. We recognize that the choice may be a very emotional one for some parents.      

Thank you for reading this information on immunizations. Please feel free to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about immunizations with any one of us.

Sincerely,

Your Children's Clinic Providers