Immunizations

Harvest Pediatrics changing immunization policy effective March 1, 2015.

Harvest Pediatrics follows the immunization guidelines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). For information about these vaccines and the diseases they protect against, please visit http://www.aap.org/

For detailed informational sheets published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) please visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/


Our Vaccine Philosophy

Our practice believes that all children should receive the recommended vaccines according to the guidelines provided by the AAP and the CDC. Vaccines are safe and effective in preventing diseases and health complications in children and young adults. Regular vaccinations help children ward off infections, and are administered as one of the safest and best methods of disease prevention.


New Immunization Policy

The medical providers at Harvest Pediatrics firmly believe that vaccinations are safe, effective, and save lives. As of March 1, 2015 we will no longer accept new patients who do not plan to immunize their children. Existing patients who are not adequately vaccinated are advised to schedule an appointment with a provider to formulate a plan to immunize their children. Existing patients who are not willing to vaccinate are asked to seek health care with another practice.

We firmly believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and to save lives.

We firmly believe in the safety of our vaccines.

We firmly believe that all children and young adults should receive all of the recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control and 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 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. The recommended vaccines and their schedule are the result of years and years of scientific study and data gathered on millions of children by thousands of our brightest scientists and physicians.

Every provider at Harvest Pediatrics has vaccinated his/her own children completely and on time, following the schedule recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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 parents have never seen a child with polio, tetanus, whooping cough, bacterial meningitis or even chickenpox, or 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. Such an attitude, if it becomes widespread, can only lead to tragic results.

Recently we have been experiencing the consequences of parents not immunizing their children. These consequences have been more pronounced in some regions of Northern California, where the vaccination rate is among the lowest in the country. We are beginning to see outbreaks of measles and whooping cough, potentially deadly illnesses that were once nearly eradicated in the United States.

Parents who choose to not immunize or to under-immunize their children not only put their own children at risk, but they also jeopardize the health of our most vulnerable patients. We have patients who are unable to be immunized due to their young age or chronic medical conditions. These children rely on “herd immunity”, the protection that is derived from their close contacts receiving their immunizations. When parents choose not to vaccinate their children, they are also putting our most susceptible children at risk.

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 help you understand why vaccinating according to the schedule is the right thing to do. However, should you have doubts, please discuss these with your health care provider.

Finally, if you should absolutely refuse to vaccinate your child despite all our efforts, or if you fail to comply with our immunization schedule, we will ask you to find another health care provider who shares your views. Please recognize that by not vaccinating you are putting your child and other children at unnecessary risk for life-threatening illness, disability, and even death.

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. Thank you for your time in reading this policy, and please feel free to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about vaccines with any one of our providers.

Harvest Pediatrics follows the immunization guidelines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). For information about these vaccines and the diseases they protect against, please visit http://www.aap.org/

For detailed informational sheets published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) please visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/

We are happy to develop a schedule to get you child/children caught up with their immunizations.

Here are the guidelines from the ACIP/CDC for you to review.


Easy-to-Read Schedule for Children, Birth through 6 Years

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/easy-to-read/child-shell-easyread.html


Easy-to-Read Schedule for Preteens and Teens, 7-18 Years

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/easy-to-read/adolescent-shell-easyread.html


Create a Schedule of Vaccines Needed since Birth to 6 years

http://www2a.cdc.gov/nip/kidstuff/newscheduler_le/


Catch-up Schedule

This catch up schedule can be complicated. We recommend you contact our office and let us know you would like to get your child/children up to date with their immunizations. Our providers and staff will develop a schedule for your child/children and then make arrangments.

We are thrilled you are willing to do the right thing to protect your child/children and our community from preventable childhood diseases.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/catchup-shell.html


Resources

Vaccine Safety: The Facts


Frequently Asked Question’s Re: Change in Vaccination Policy at Harvest Pediatrics

Q. Why is Harvest Pediatrics making this change to their vaccination policy?

A. The medical providers at Harvest Pediatrics firmly believe that vaccinations are safe, effective, and save lives. Vaccinations represent one of health care’s greatest advances in the 20th century.

In the last several years, we have seen the resurgence of some very dangerous diseases that we thought were nearly gone.  The reasons are complex, but the prospects are frightening.  The fears about vaccine safety have been thoroughly vetted and found to be groundless.  At this time, we find no legitimate reason to leave a child unprotected by vaccines and are encouraging all our patients to update their vaccines.  Unvaccinated children are potential carriers of these diseases, and represent a risk to the young infants and children who come to our office and are not yet old enough to be fully immunized.


Q. What does this mean for my child/children/family?

A. We are requiring that each of our patients be up to date on all recommended immunizations by the age of 2 years.

Families are required to vaccinate their children in accordance with the recommended schedule of childhood immunizations     set forth by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Center of Disease Control.

If a family is unwilling or unable to comply with this requirement, we will no longer be able to provide medical care for your     child/children.


Q. Will I be able to immunize my child/children using an alternative schedule?

A. We will no longer be able to provide vaccines on an alternative schedule unless this is deemed necessary by a medical     provider.  The recommended schedule has been extensively tested and has been used over many years and is proven to be     safe and effective.  Deviating from the schedule we cannot be certain that this still provides safe and effective coverage from     vaccine preventable diseases.

Some parents are of the opinion that giving vaccines on a prolonged schedule is easier on the child, but in fact, the     recommended schedule is designed to provide optimum immunity, minimize side effects and require the fewest needle sticks     and trips to the office.  The myth that this “overwhelms” the child’s immune system has been thoroughly discredited.


Q. If I am a parent that has not immunized my child or have chosen an alternative vaccination schedule, do I have the opportunity to discuss and come up with a plan to get my child/children caught up with their immunizations?

A. Yes.  Existing patients who are under-immunized or unimmunized are advised to schedule an appointment with a provider to formulate a plan to get their child/children up to date.


Q. What if my child has a contraindication to vaccines?

A. A small percentage of children in our practice have medical conditions which preclude the use of certain vaccines at  certain times.  This might include cancer chemotherapy, a chronic illness or immune system dysfunction. We will not exclude these patients from our practice, and will make every effort to prevent their exposure to harmful diseases.


Q. How long do I have to make this decision and if necessary transfer care to another provider?

A. You will have to make this decision immediately.  Of course, our office will assist you in transferring care to another provider.  Please be advised there is a $25.00 charge per child for copying and transferring your child’s medical record to another provider.


Q. What if I do not wish to follow the recommended vaccine schedule?

A. You will need to seek another medical provider for pediatric care. The vaccine schedule established by the American Committee of Immunization Practices and the American Academy of Pediatrics and is not an arbitrary or random recommendation. It is based on the expertise of infectious disease experts who have large amounts of data at their disposal. Furthermore, this schedule has been extensively tested and has been used over many years and proven to be safe and effective.


Q. Will I be able to bring my unimmunized or under immunized child/children to Harvest if they get sick before I transfer to another provider?

A. It depends on what kind of illness your child is experiencing.  Our triage service is available during our hours of operation. You can discuss with our trained triage staff what is going on with your child who will determine if your child needs to be seen urgently.

If there is evidence to suggest that your child has measles, you will be asked not to bring your child into our building.  You will be asked to keep the child in your car and a medical provider will see your child there.

Questions or Comments?

At Harvest Pediatrics, we encourage you to contact us whenever you have a concern or question related to your care.
You can reach us at:


Napa: (707) 252-1076
St. Helena: (707) 963-0171

Our Location

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Hours of Operation

Closed daily between 12:00 PM and 1:30 PM for lunch.

Napa Office

Monday:

8:30 am-6:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:30 am-6:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:30 am-6:00 pm

Thursday:

8:30 am-5:00 pm

Friday:

8:30 am-5:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

St. Helena Office

Monday:

8:30 am-5:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:30 am-5:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:30 am-5:00 pm

Thursday:

8:30 am-5:00 pm

Friday:

8:30 am-5:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed