Immunizations

Dr. Mengers and Dr. VanBronkhorst follow the immunization guidelines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). For information about these vaccines and the diseases they protect against, please visit http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/immunizations.cfm

For detailed informational sheets published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) please visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis.

CDC recommends that children get two doses of MMR vaccine:

• the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age, and
• the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age.

Teens and adults should also be up to date on MMR vaccinations

**As of April 10, 2019 the MMR vaccine will be given at the 12 month visit**

Our Vaccine Philosophy

2014 Updated Vaccination Policy

Over the past few years there has been a steady and alarming increasing in the number of children becoming ill from vaccine-preventable illnesses, such as Pertussis (whooping cough) and Measles. This is happening in our local community, throughout the country, and internationally. As pediatricians, it is our responsibility to provide the best and most scientifically up-to-date care for our patients. We know that providing vaccines for our patients protects individual children, babies who are too young to receive vaccines, and children who are receiving chemotherapy or other treatments that make them unable to be vaccinated. Thus, when children we care for are not fully immunized, they are at risk for getting severely ill themselves, and they are also putting infants and children with chronic illnesses at risk for severe, but preventable illnesses.

Therefore, as of January 1, 2014, we expect all new patients to our practice to adhere to the Center for Disease Control’s vaccine schedule. If families request an alternative schedule, we will require the following:

1. All infants will receive 3 doses each of DTaP, IPV, Prevnar, and Hib by the child’s 1st birthday.
2. All children will receive a 4th dose of Prevnar, DTaP, and Hib, and a first dose of MMR and Varicella by age 2.
3. All children will receive booster doses of DTaP, IPV, MMR and Varicella by age 5.

However, we strongly advise all families to give the entire series of vaccines at recommended times, just as everyone in our office has done for their own children. If families request an alternative schedule which meets with the above requirements, they may submit their request in writing with specific dates when each vaccine will be given.

We understand that the popular media and celebrities without medical training have called into question the safety and effectiveness of vaccines over the past few years. Science has proven that vaccines do not cause autism but are extremely effective at preventing illnesses that have killed countless people throughout history. We are fortunate to live in a time when vaccines are available for so many dangerous illnesses. We generate essentially no profit from providing vaccines – we do it because we believe this is the best medicine for all of our patients.

If you have further concerns or questions about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, we encourage you to read information from reputable scientific sources, including the AAP (http://www2.aap.org/immunization/families/safety.html) and CDC (http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/index.html), or you may make a separate appointment to address these concerns with your pediatrician.

Thank you for understanding and we look forward to taking care of your children. 

We are pleased to announce that we are now providing the Gardasil 9 vaccine. This vaccine offers protection against an additional 5 strains of the human papilloma virus possibly preventing up to 80% of all cervical cancers and protecting against other types of cancer. For more information please visit the website http://www.cdc.gov/…/hcp/vis/vis-statem…/hpv-gardasil-9.html

Recommended Immunization Schedule

• 0-6 Years -Schedule for Persons Aged 0 Through 6 Years | 2014
• 7-18 Years-Schedule for Persons Aged 7 Through 18 Years | 2014
• Catch-up Schedule -Schedule for Persons Aged 4 Months Through 18 Years Who Start Late or Who Are More Than 1 Month Behind | 2014

Resources

Vaccine Safety: The Facts A brief fact sheet on vaccines from the AAP