Northside Pediatrics' Vaccine Statement

We are sure you have seen the confusing news regarding administrators at the CDC changing the recommended vaccines for children in the U.S. We want to be 100% clear - the science around the safety, benefit, and importance of these vaccinations recommended for our children has not changed.

At Northside Pediatrics, we will continue to follow the evidence-based, expert recommendations as we always have, and our vaccine policy will remain the same. By requiring the American Academy of Pediatrics vaccine schedule for our patients, we know we'll be furthering that mission we've had since our inception as a pediatric practice in 1982 - to offer the best care for your kids. Read on for more details.

We are sure you have seen the confusing news this week regarding administrators at the CDC changing the recommended vaccines for children in the U.S.  This included the CDC no longer universally recommending kids be vaccinated against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, meningitis (ACWY and B strains), influenza, COVID-19 and RSV.  CDC officials are suggesting these vaccines only be considered in certain groups deemed "high risk", or after discussion with a healthcare provider as part of "shared decision making" process. 

We want to be 100% clear - the science around the safety, benefit, and importance of these vaccinations recommended for our children has not changed.  All children are "high risk" for these conditions and serve to benefit from the protection afforded by these and all vaccines that have been recommended to this point in the U.S. The CDC's decision to change the schedule was haphazardly made by looking at other countries' recommended vaccine schedules and arbitrarily going with a country (Denmark's) who has less recommended vaccines. The idea that Denmark’s lack of recommendation for certain vaccines should guide the United States vaccine schedule, does not make clinical sense for the United States population. 

Please know that while vaccine recommendations are largely similar from one developed country to the next, there are and should be differences between countries.  The United States is clearly not Denmark.  We're not Japan.  We're also not Sierra Leone.   Each part of the world has varying levels of and varieties of disease threats due to differences in population demographics, government structures, healthcare accessibility, healthcare costs, vaccine availability, and vaccine delivery mechanisms.  With the help of local infectious disease experts (including doctors, scientists, and public health professionals), each country has built their own, evidence-based recommended vaccine schedule catered to that country's challenges with battling particular diseases.  The United States has been no different, consistently reviewing and updating the recommended U.S. vaccine schedule each year. 

Unfortunately, this week's CDC recommendations are a departure from sound, evidence-based guidance by medical experts. Instead, those who are not experts on matters relating to infectious disease threats, public health matters, and the health of children decided to come together and make a reckless decision that will leave our children vulnerable to infections that are still a threat to all children in the U.S.  Seeing the news this last year of a giant increase in the cases of measles in unvaccinated populations and deaths from influenza in the last month and RSV sadly prove this.   

At Northside Pediatrics, we will continue to follow the evidence-based, expert recommendations as we always have and our vaccine policy will remain the same. Like all similarly minded pediatricians wanting to do the best to keep our patients and families healthy, we will follow the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended vaccine schedule and will not accept this week's recommended changes by the CDC.  By requiring the American Academy of Pediatrics vaccine schedule for our patients, we know we'll be furthering that mission we've had since our inception as a pediatric practice in 1982 - to offer the best care for your kids. 

We hope this information clarifies the confusion that the CDC announcement has created. In case you are also wondering, this news is not expected to cause any disruption to insurance coverage of any vaccines. Please know that we are here if you still have any questions or concerns - call us, message us through Klara (our two-way texting platform), or chat with us in person.  Thank you for entrusting us with the care of your kids!