IMMUNIZATIONS

We, at Trifecta Medical Group, firmly support the use of vaccinations as an effective way to prevent and/or decrease the serious effects of many diseases. As with all of our medical recommendations, the risks and benefits have been analyzed, and we believe the benefits far outweigh the risks for most patients. We believe vaccines are safe and are the single most important disease prevention measure we can provide our patients. The recommended vaccines and the vaccine schedule are the results of years and years of scientific study and data gathering on millions of children by thousands of our brightest scientists and physicians. Furthermore, vaccinations help to keep other individuals safe by helping to establish herd immunity. We want you to know that ALL of the Trifecta Medical Group providers and staff have fully vaccinated our own children. We believe that for our families, the risks of vaccine-preventable illnesses far outweigh the risks of vaccination.

The vaccine schedule from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends vaccines at specific intervals to accommodate for children’s maturing immune systems, the decline of natural maternal antibodies, and risk assessments. Therefore, we firmly believe all children and young adults should receive all recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the Center for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics, as noted and adapted on Trifecta Medical Group’s vaccine schedule.

We understand there are many questions and uncertainties regarding vaccines and their ingredients for patients and caregivers. We, at Trifecta Medical Group, strive to answer any of your questions regarding immunizations. We also support and respect a parent’s/guardian’s right to decide what is best for his or her child. However, we advocate for all decisions to be based on risk vs benefit analysis of strong and credible research. Therefore, Trifecta Medical Group will support a modified vaccination schedule or a parent’s decision to not vaccinate his or her child provided the decision is evidenced- based. Trifecta Medical Group strongly advocates for all providers, parents, guardians, caregivers, and patients to be educated regarding the most recent data concerning immunizations. Any parent, guardian, or caregiver who elects to utilize a modified vaccination schedule or refuse all vaccinations, must follow the Trifecta Medical Group’s Modified Vaccination and Non-Vaccination Policy.

Although Trifecta Medical Group is a practice that embraces a more holistic, “body-mind-spirit”, approach, that philosophy does not equate to “non-vaccination”. In fact, vaccinations have led to less need for antibiotics and surgical interventions in children, significantly lowering risks to their health and well-being. Additionally, Trifecta Medical Group strongly advocates for all providers, parents, guardians, caregivers, and patients to be educated regarding the most recent data concerning immunizations.

We recognize that there has always been and will likely always be controversy surrounding vaccination. Indeed, Benjamin Franklin, persuaded by his brother, was opposed to smallpox vaccine until scientific data convinced him otherwise. Tragically, he had delayed inoculating his favorite son, Franky. The boy contracted smallpox and died at the age of 4, leaving Franklin with a lifetime of guilt and remorse. In his autobiography, Franklin wrote:

“In 1736, I lost one of my sons, a fine boy of four years old, by the smallpox...I long regretted bitterly, and still regret that I had not given it to him by inoculation. This I mention for the sake of parents who omit that operation, on the supposition that they should never forgive themselves if a child died under it, my example showing that the regret may be the same either way, and that, therefore, the safer should be chosen.”

The vaccine campaign is truly a victim of its own success. It is precisely because vaccines are so effective at preventing illness that we are even discussing whether or not they should be given. Because of vaccines, many of you have never seen a child with polio, tetanus, whooping cough, bacterial meningitis, or even chickenpox, or have known a friend or family member whose child died of one of these diseases. Such success can make us complacent or even lazy about vaccinating.

But such an attitude, if it becomes widespread, can only lead to tragic results. After the publication of an unfounded accusation (later retracted) that MMR vaccine caused autism in 1998, many Europeans chose not to vaccinate their children. As a result of under-immunization, Europe experienced large outbreaks of measles, with several deaths from disease complications. In 2012, there were more than 48,000 cases of pertussis (whooping cough) in the United States, resulting in 22 deaths. Most victims were infants younger than six months of age. Many children who contracted the illness had parents who made a conscious decision not to vaccinate. In 2015, there was a measles outbreak in Disneyland, California (probably started by an infected park visitor who had traveled from the Philippines). The outbreak eventually spread to 147 people and, again, many were too young to have been vaccinated. When you don’t vaccinate, you take a significant risk with your child’s health and the health of others around them.

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 recognize that the choice may be a very emotional one for some parents. We will do everything we can to partner with you and inform you that vaccinating according to the schedule is the right thing to do. However, should you have doubts, please discuss these with your healthcare provider in advance of your visit. In some cases, we may alter the schedule to accommodate parental concerns or reservations. Please be advised, however, that delaying or “breaking up the vaccines” to give one or two at a time over two or more visits goes against expert recommendations and can put your child at risk for serious illness (or even death) and goes against our medical advice as providers at Trifecta Medical Group. Such additional visits will require additional co-pays on your part. Please realize that you will also be required to sign a “Refusal to Vaccinate” acknowledgment in the event of a refusal of any recommended vaccine(s).

Because we are committed to protecting the health of your children through vaccination, we highly encourage all our patients to be vaccinated. If parents wish to modify the schedule, please note all eligible infants should have vaccines initiated by their 4-month well-child appointment with additional recommended vaccines as well as booster doses by two years of age. Children should receive additional recommended booster doses by the time they are seven years old and should be given recommended 11–12-year preteen vaccinations by the time they are 13 years old. We recommend completion of 16- year teen vaccinations before each child’s 17th birthday.

Parents and guardians who desire a modified vaccination schedule or who choose not to vaccinate will be required to complete an education verification form regarding vaccines within 60 days of each well-child appointment where a vaccine is routinely recommended. Please utilize the vaccine resources on our website below and fill out the education verification form (duplicate resources/forms are not accepted). The form should be brought with you to your child(ren)’s appointment(s). Verification of required education completion will be obtained by our office staff at check-in for the well-child appointment. Failure to complete the required education at the time of check-in will require the parent/guardian to reschedule the well-child appointment to a later date or consent to all routine vaccinations recommended by the provider at the appointment.

As medical professionals, we feel very strongly that vaccinating your child on schedule with currently available vaccines is absolutely the right thing to do to protect all children and young adults. Thank you for taking the time to read this policy. In fact, ALL Trifecta Medical Group providers and staff have fully vaccinated our own children. We believe that for our families, the risks of vaccine-preventable illnesses far outweigh the risks of vaccination. Please feel free to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about vaccines with any one of us.

*This schedule was adapted from the AAP vaccination schedule and utilizes combination vaccines to reduce preservatives and the number of injections.

Birth: Hepatitis B

1 month: Hepatitis B

2 months: Rotavirus, *DTaP, *Hib, PCV 13, *IPV (*Pentacel)

4 months: Rotavirus, *DTaP, *Hib, PCV 13, *IPV (*Pentacel)

6 months: DTaP, PCV 13, and Hib

9 months: none 

• Hib can be given here instead of at 6 months if desired

12 months: MMR and PCV 13

• Varicella can be given here instead of at 15 months if desired

15 months: Varicella, *DTaP, *Hib, *IPV (*Pentacel) 

• MMR can be given here instead of at 12 months if desired

18 months: **Hepatitis A & **Hepatitis B (**Twinrix)

24 months: Hepatitis A

4 years: ***DTaP, ***IPV, ****MMR, ****Varicella (*** Quadracel, **** ProQuad)

11 years: Tdap, Meningococcal (MCV4), HPV

12 years: HPV

16 years: Meningococcal (MCV4)

Elective:
Influenza:  Yearly flu vaccination for children 6 months of age and older (children 6-months through 8-years-of-age receiving an initial influenza vaccine will require a booster, 1-month after the initial dose, and are then able to receive 1, yearly vaccine, thereafter).

COVID:  To be determined

AAP Vaccine Schedule: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/child/0-18yrs-child-combined-schedule.pdf

Abbreviations of vaccines: https://publications.aap.org/redbook/pages/Immunization-Schedules?_ga=2.227757339.760585567.1657039194-1207203303.1651014320

Vaccine info sheets: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/current-vis.html