All new pediatric patients to the Campbell County Medical Group
Main Clinic (Family Medicine and
Pediatrics) will be required to adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) recommended immunization schedule.
Current patients who are not immunized or under-immunized will have 30
days to start a catch-up immunization plan, with the assistance of our
clinic. The only exemptions for not completing the immunization schedule
will be medical exemptions, in accordance with recommendations from the
CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
We realize that you care deeply about your child’s health and safety,
and as providers, we are committed to their health and safety.
We firmly believe that immunizing children and young adults may be the
single most important health promotion intervention we perform as healthcare
providers, and that you can promote as parents/caregivers. Immunizations
are so effective at preventing illness that most parents have never seen
a child with polio, tetanus, whooping cough, bacterial meningitis or even
chickenpox, or know of anyone whose child died of one of these diseases.
Unfortunately, such successes can make us complacent about immunization.
We want you to know:
We firmly believe in the effectiveness of immunizations to prevent serious
illness and save lives.
We firmly believe in the safety of our immunizations.
We firmly believe that all children and young adults should receive all
the recommended immunizations according to the schedule published by the
CDC and the
AAP. Breaking up or delaying immunizations goes against expert recommendations
and can put your child as risk for serious illness, or even death.
For our patients who are currently under-immunized, we would be happy to
address your concerns in our office as this policy goes into effect. As
the time is limited during prescheduled visits, we may not have time to
answer all of your questions during that appointment. However, we are
happy to schedule an Immunization Counseling Visit on a first come, first
served basis for a limited time. Call the
Main Clinic at
307-688-3636 to schedule.
Practice Philosopy/Policy
Campbell County Medical Group’s Main Clinic Pediatrics and Family
Medicine providers have agreed to a practice philosophy that supports
adhering to the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule. The terms
immunization policy or vaccination policy are commonly used in pediatric
practices and refers to a provider’s or group’s decision regarding
unimmunized patients in their office. Ultimately, the practice of medicine
is guided by a provider’s training and critical thinking skills,
and aided by medical research and the advice of professional organizations.
Omitting, delaying or changing the recommended immunization schedule goes
against expert recommendations and can put children at risk of serious
illness or even death.
We value the relationship we have with all our patients, and will schedule
an immunization counseling visit to answer questions. There are options
within Campbell County Medical Group for those families who choose not
to abide by the CDC immunization schedule. The
Kid Clinic,
307-688-8700, and the
Walk-in Clinic,
307-688-9255, are available to provide pediatric healthcare.
We hope you understand that we have developed this vaccination policy to
protect children, their families and our community from deadly, preventable
diseases by administering safe and effective immunizations.
There are people who have expressed concerns about vaccine or immunization
safety. The fact is vaccines save lives and protect against the spread
of disease. If you decide not to immunize, you’re not only putting
your child at risk to catch a disease that is dangerous or deadly, but
you’re also putting others in contact with your child at risk. Getting
vaccinated is much better than getting the disease. Some of the most devastating
diseases that affect children have been greatly reduced or eradicated
completely, due to vaccination. Today, we protect children and teens from
16 diseases that can have a terrible effect on their lives if left unvaccinated.
Your pediatrician knows that you care about your child’s health
and safety. That’s why you need to get all the scientific facts
from a medical professional you can trust before making any decisions
based on stories you have seen or heard on TV, the internet or from other parents.
Frequently Asked Questions about Immunization adapted from
HealthyChildren.org
What do we know about vaccines?
Vaccines have kept children healthy and have saved millions of lives for
more than 50 years. Most childhood vaccines are 90% to 99% effective in
preventing disease. And, if a vaccinated child does get the disease, the
symptoms are usually less serious than in a child who hasn’t been
vaccinated. There may be mild side effects, like swelling where the shot
was given, but they do not last long. And, it is rare for side effects
to be serious.
Frequently Asked Questions about Immunization adapted from
HealthyChildren.org
How are vaccines tested and reviewed?
Before a vaccine is licensed in the United States, the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews all aspects of development, including where and how the
vaccine is made and the studies that have been conducted in people who
received the vaccine. The FDA will not license a vaccine unless it meets
standards for effectiveness (how well the vaccine works) and safety. Results
of studies are reviewed again by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the
American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) before a licensed vaccine is officially recommended to be given
to children. Every lot of vaccine is tested to ensure quality (including
safety) before the vaccine reaches the public. In addition, the FDA regularly
inspects places where vaccines are made.
Frequently Asked Questions about Immunization adapted from
HealthyChildren.org
Why are vaccines necessary?
Vaccines have protected children in the United States for many years and
continue to protect them from dangerous diseases. However, there are still
common, vaccine-preventable diseases in many parts of the world that are
rarely seen in the United States. Since some vaccine-preventable diseases
still occur in the United States, and others may be brought into the United
States by Americans who travel abroad or from people visiting areas with
current disease outbreaks, it’s important that your children are
vaccinated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Immunization adapted from
HealthyChildren.org
How are vaccines studied after licensing?
The FDA and the CDC created the
Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) to monitor the safety of vaccines after licensure. All doctors
must report certain side effects of vaccines to VAERS. Parents can also
file reports with VAERS.
For more information about VAERS, visit
www.vaers.hhs.gov, or call the toll-free VAERS information line at
800-822-7967.
Other systems exist to further study vaccine safety concerns if they are
identified in VAERS by the FDA and CDC.
Frequently Asked Questions about Immunization adapted from
HealthyChildren.org
What is “herd immunity?”
Vaccines provide protection for everyone. Booster shots are just as important
as the initial vaccinations, and are designed to continue immunity by
building on the previous vaccines’ effectiveness. Unfortunately,
some parents forget or skip the booster shots, which undermines the effectiveness
of a very important concept in vaccination: herd immunity. Herd immunity
is the benefit everyone receives from a vaccinated population once immunization
reaches a critical level. When enough people are vaccinated, everyone-including
those who are too young or too sick to be immunized-receives some protection
from the spread of disease. However, relying on herd immunity to keep
your child safe is risky. The more parents that follow this way thinking,
the fewer vaccinated children we will have, and the more likely a serious
disease will return and infect all of those who are not vaccinated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Immunization adapted from
HealthyChildren.org
My child has a medical exemption. What exemptions are allowed?
In rare circumstances children will have a chronic health condition which
makes it unsafe or difficult to receive immunization per the recommended
schedule. Those conditions include certain cancers and immune diseases
or medications. We recommend you make a Vaccine Counseling Visit and share
with your provider why you believe an exemption may be necessary. MTHFR
mutation is not an allowable medical exemption, as studies have not shown
this causes any measurable risk for patients to be vaccinated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Immunization adapted from
HealthyChildren.org
Will HPV, meningococcal (meningitis), and influenza immunization be required
as part of this policy?
All immunizations recommended on the CDC immunization schedule will be
required, including annual influenza (flu) immunization.
Frequently Asked Questions about Immunization adapted from
HealthyChildren.org
Where can I find the CDC recommended vaccination schedule?
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