The ESD Pediatric Group (ESD) supports the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the State of Ohio that children be immunized on time and according to the advised pediatric vaccine schedule.
Although ESD is a practice that respects parent choice on all medical decisions that do not risk imminent harm to the child, that philosophy does not equate to recommending or encouraging “non-vaccination” or alternative vaccine schedules. In fact, our practice strongly believes in the safety and efficacy of vaccines. Vaccines have led to less need for antibiotics and surgical interventions in children, significantly lowering risks to their health and well-being. Vaccines are safe and do save lives.
In abiding by AAP recommendations, ESD will provide care to patients who are not fully immunized but reserves the right to discuss these choices, risks and benefits at appropriate office visits. ESD recognizes that there may be parents who will need the opportunity to partner with our care providers as they consider any alteration, delay or refusal of the advised pediatric vaccine schedule.
ESD believes that every child, regardless of vaccination status, should have a medical home, as long as parents take responsibility for partnering with us in caring for the child.
ESD will continue to address the risks of non-vaccination and alternative vaccination schedules at well care and other appropriate visit opportunities.
Parents who delay or decline to vaccinate will be asked to sign a waiver clarifying the risks of non-vaccination and acknowledging that ESD has recommended the vaccine for their child. ESD reserves the right to dismiss from our practice any parents who refuse to sign the waiver accepting responsibility for this decision.
ESD reserves the right and will likely exercise restrictions on office visits of unvaccinated children in the event of an outbreak to protect vulnerable patients and has policies in place to do this.
ALL of the ESD providers have fully vaccinated their own children on schedule per CDC and AAP recommendations. We believe that for our families, the risks of vaccine preventable illnesses far outweigh the risks of vaccination.
All of the ESD providers are happy to discuss vaccines at any office visit.
