Immunization

Immunization

At Coast Pediatrics, we are strongly committed to immunizing children so that they will be protected against infectious diseases that can cause death or permanent disability.  We adhere to the vaccination guidelines developed by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics.  We are well aware of increasing parental resistance to vaccination in the last decade, fueled by misinformation in the media and lay press.  Although we do respect the rights of parents to make informed decisions regarding the health and safety of their children, we do not agree with any decision to avoid or delay vaccinating infants and children.

We want our parents to be truly informed.  Please be sure that you base any decision about your child’s health on actual scientific data, and not on blogs, playgroup discussions or even individual anecdotes.  Myths about vaccines causing autism have been thoroughly debunked again and again in numerous scientific studies.  Babies aren’t “too young” to get vaccines, in fact, they are the perfect age to die from whooping cough if left unprotected.   Modern vaccines and the approved schedule for administering them have undergone extensive, exhaustive testing to be certain that they are safe and effective.

For a chart of our immunization schedule, please click here.

Below we have links to reliable sources on vaccine safety.  We encourage all of our families to read up on this very important topic.

Vaccines and Your Child: Separating Fact from Fiction by Paul A. Offit MD
Centers for Disease Control Vaccine Information
American Academy of Pediatrics Vaccine Information
Autism Science Foundation
Immunization Action Coalition
MMR Vaccination Does NOT Cause Autism

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has a fantastic Vaccine Education Center that is chock-full of information and current research.  We encourage all of our patients to “poke around” on this website as well.

CHOP Vaccine Education Center