Vaccine Policy

At Northside Pediatrics, the health and well-being of your child is our top priority. We are committed to practicing medicine in compliance with the evidence-based practices established by the American Academy of Pediatrics, so we can provide the best care for your child.

• For the safety of the community and our patient population, Northside Pediatrics requires that our patients be vaccinated according to the American Academy of Pediatric's recommended immunization schedule. We do not offer alternate vaccine schedules; so we do not skip, defer, or split any vaccines unless medically contraindicated.
• We firmly believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and to save lives. 
• We firmly believe in the safety of vaccines.
• We firmly believe that all children and young adults should receive all of the recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
• We firmly believe, based on all available literature, evidence, and current studies, that vaccines do not cause autism or other developmental disabilities.
• We firmly believe that thimerosal, a preservative that has been in vaccines for decades and remains in some vaccines, does not cause autism or other developmental disabilities.
• We firmly believe that vaccinating children and young adults may be the single most important health-promoting intervention we perform as health care providers, and that you can perform as parents/ caregivers.
• Our goal is to help parents understand the importance of vaccines, and to avoid the possibility of medical complications or death of their child due to vaccine preventable illness. Because of the recent increase in underimmunization, there have been outbreaks of and deaths from measles, Haemophilus and pertussis right here in Atlanta. We will work with any family whose child is not up to date with vaccines to become compliant with current recommendations. We will also gladly answer questions or address any concerns regarding vaccines during your visit.
• We understand that some parents may refuse to vaccinate their children despite our efforts to provide them with accurate medical and scientific data. While we respect a parent’s personal beliefs and decision-making rights for their child, we feel that you are putting your child at unnecessary risk for life-threatening illness, disability, or even death- and we cannot assume medical liability for your choices. Therefore, parents who refuse to vaccinate according to the recommended schedule will be asked to find another health care provider that shares your views.

Just like you, our top priority at Northside Pediatrics is keeping your child safe, healthy and thriving. We understand that deciding how to best protect your child's health is one of the most important parenting decisions you’ll make. As medical professionals, we feel very strongly that vaccinating children on schedule with currently available vaccines is absolutely the right thing to do for all children and young adults. Please be advised that delaying or spreading out the vaccines to give one or two at a time over multiple visits goes against expert recommendations, can put your child at risk for serious illness, disability, and even death, and goes against our medical advice as providers at Northside Pediatrics.

We are making you aware of these facts not to scare you or coerce you, but to emphasize the importance of vaccinating your child. We are more than willing to discuss any questions you may have about vaccines, but we do require all current and new patients to adhere to the vaccination schedule endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. By following this policy, we aim to ensure that every child in our care has the opportunity to grow up healthy, safe, and protected against preventable diseases.