Immunizations

At Well Rooted Pediatrics, we support parent choice when it comes to childhood immunizations.  We also support and firmly believe that vaccines have decreased infant mortality. We understand you may have questions and concerns about vaccinations. Our goal is to help you understand the risks and benefits of immunizations so that we can work together to develop a vaccine plan in the best interest of your child. We are dedicated to discussing these issues with you, as well as providing educational resources, to help you make this decision in an informed manner. With the blend of traditional western medicine and alternative/holistic approach, we can counsel your family on the risks & benefits of routine immunizations as well as discuss immune support and detoxification methods post-vaccination. We believe both these factors are important in children receiving immunizations and are happy to discuss this further at your visit. Our general vaccine philosophy is outlined below:

• Current evidence suggests that the hepatitis B vaccine is not necessary at birth unless you or a close contact have hepatitis B. We do not routinely recommend the hepatitis B vaccine in the newborn nursery otherwise.
• We do feel that healthy children are ready to begin vaccination at 2 months of age. For parents who wish to spread out vaccinations in a non-standard schedule, we will discuss the potential risks with you.
• We can provide non-mandatory vaccines such as rotavirus and human papillomavirus (HPV). If you are interested in these vaccines, please discuss with us.
• Texas public schools mandate full vaccination. We do not provide medical exemption letters. Alternatively, you can request an Exemption for Reason of Conscience with Texas Department of State Health Service (https://co-request.dshs.texas.gov/).
  
• The MMR vaccine can provide lasting immunity after one dose, though not in all cases. For this reason, we will, on parental request, perform titers for MMR (a simple blood test) at four or five years of age. We can additionally perform titers for Varicella, Chickenpox, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B. These are the immune titers that are accepted as proof of immunity by most states. If your child is immune to these diseases, you may choose not to give these boosters at 4-5 years of age.
• We provide you with sample vaccine schedules, including the standard-of-care CDC/AAP-approved schedule, as a guideline to help you make decisions regarding immunization. Understand that little if any research has been published regarding the efficacy and safety of any alternative vaccine schedule. Provision of alternative schedules is not an endorsement of any specific plan for your child. The CDC/AAP-approved schedule is the U.S. standard of care.
• For children who are on alternative schedules or require catch-up schedules due to missed immunizations, we are happy to discuss this with you during a visit and help provide guidance on how to proceed with immunizations safely. We offer immunization-only appointments as often as needed, in between routine care appointments, which allow alternative schedules to be carried out in an easy manner.

We know that you want to make the best choices for your children and believe that the best choice is an informed choice. Our goal is to help you understand the risks and benefits of vaccinations and provide you with the most up to date scientific information so that you can make an informed choice for your child(ren).