If you Don’t Vaccinate, We Need to Understand Eachother:
We understand that you love your children, and that you are not vaccinating them to protect them as you see it. We also know that you distrust the messaging of the media and medical community. But please take a moment to understand us. In addition to our reasons above:
- Please understand that in not vaccinating your children, you are asking our doctors to continue a potentially strained relationship with a family that goes against an important part of their medical advice.
- Please understand that in not-vaccinating your children, you are risking the safety of other familieswith vulnerable adults or children by placing them at exposure risk. This may include unvaccinated newborns, the elderly, immune-compromised kids, and unborn children in pregnant mothers. Remember that vaccines are designed to protect the vulnerable people around you too.
- Please understand that in delayed-vaccination of your children, you may be asking for more medical care than your insurance will pay for (by coming to the office multiple extra more times for shots), and this could end up costing us much more in time and resources. You may have to pay for that difference in cost. Also, there is no evidence that delaying vaccines will give the best immunity; in fact, it may be worse.
- Please understand that your health plan and governmental health plans may financially penalize your doctor’s practice because you did not vaccinate on time, and this ultimately could hurt the clinic such that you can no longer continue as a patient for its very survival.
Here is Our Compromise…
- Signed form(s) Required for Refusal to Vaccinate with Release of Liability. Even if you may vaccinate your child in the future, all unvaccinated children must have your signature on the “refusal to vaccinate form” completed in the chart for all refused vaccines or ones not given that are recommended. This protects us legally from your decision. And we believe this is fair if we are to continue to see you.
- To protect others. You let us know if your kids are not vaccinated when you come in and when you call for an appointment. Have your kids put on a mask or simply wait outside until you can be seen. Contact us ahead of time to secure an appointment so we can select a time slot when newborns or immunocompromised children are not present in the office. This may be inconvenient for you or not on the day or hour of your preference or with the provider of your preference.
- Your decision affects more than just you, so be nice to our providers who advise you of the importance of vaccines –even if they bring it up every visit. This is our duty because we care.
- If you just cannot accept this compromise, we respect your choice to leave the practice or be discharged by us.