Sweetbay Pediatrics is a Vaccinating Practice
At Sweetbay Pediatrics, the health and safety of our patients, their families, our staff, and the broader community are our top priorities. As part of our commitment to providing the highest standard of pediatric care, we require all patients to adhere to the recommended vaccination schedule established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the World Health Organization (WHO). This policy reflects our deep belief in the importance of vaccines in safeguarding public health, and aligns with the overwhelming scientific consensus supporting vaccine efficacy and safety. Vaccines prevent serious illness and save lives.
You can find updated details about the recommended immunization schedule here.
Protecting Our Patients and Community
By maintaining a vaccination policy, we uphold our ethical obligation to provide a safe environment for all who enter our practice. Allowing unvaccinated patients would compromise the health of our staff, other families in our care, and the broader community.
Addressing Concerns
We understand that some families may have questions or concerns about vaccines, and we believe that it is important for parents to understand what is being recommended for their child, and why. Before engaging in a relationship that may span two decades, it is important that parents feel a strong sense of trust in our knowledge and skills. And one of the cornerstones of knowledge for all pediatricians is the safety and efficacy of vaccines. We want you to ultimately feel comfortable with and understand each vaccine that your child receives. If medical providers and families are not able to see eye to eye and trust each other on this vital issue, it becomes extremely difficult to form a healthy, functioning relationship going forward.
Alternative Schedules
We often get asked if we support “alternative” or “delayed” vaccine schedules. We do not, because such deviations from the standard of care endanger children’s lives by leaving them less protected at young and vulnerable ages. The recommended vaccination timeline is carefully and thoughtfully designed to protect children when they are most at risk. Deviating from this schedule not only compromises individual protection, but can also contribute to the resurgence of diseases within communities. For further information about why we don't encourage an alternative schedule, please read these helpful articles authored by the infectious disease experts at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: Recommended Vaccine Schedule: What You Should Know and Vaccine Schedule: Altering the Schedule | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (chop.edu).
We Made a Covenant with Our Patients, and We’re Not Going to Break It
Sweetbay embraces family-centered care for all of our patients, and we want to maintain a safe environment whereby children can receive exceptional medical care compliant with the AAP and CDC. For this reason, vaccines are a requirement to be part of the Sweetbay family. If, however, after discussing any concerns you have about the standard schedule, you still decide you want to proceed more slowly than recommended, we will accommodate the schedule requirements outlined by the NCDHHS for childcare or school entry, which can be found here. These statutes allow for a slightly delayed schedule as compared to CDC guidelines, and do not mandate vaccines that are "recommended but not required," e.g. those against Influenza, Covid-19, HPV and Hepatitis A.
We also recommend these online resources for more information:
How are Vaccines Paid for at Sweetbay?
We use a service called Vaxcare for vaccine procurement and billing. Vaxcare is in network with most private insurance plans and will bill your insurance provider for the vaccines administered at Sweetbay. If you have Medicaid, no insurance, or a plan that does not cover routine childhood immunizations, we are fortunate to be participants in the state's Vaccines For Children (VFC) program, whereby your child can receive vaccines free of charge.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in helping us maintain a safe and healthy environment for all.
Membership Questions?
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