Immunization Education Agreement

Having disagreements about getting kids vaccinated and protected are not rare these days.

“Many parents have questions about their children’s vaccines, and answering their questions can help parents feel confident in choosing to immunize their child according to the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule.”

CDC on Talking to Parents about Vaccines

They never were though.

The anti-vaccine movement, concerns about the pain from the shots, and worry about side effects have been around for as long as there have been vaccines.

So what should you do if you disagree with someone about vaccines and you don’t want to get your child vaccinated?

It depends on who it is.

For example, if the person you disagree with is your pediatrician, then simply arguing about it likely isn’t a good idea, on either side.

Most pediatricians understand that many vaccine-hesitant parents are simply scared because of things they read and see on the Internet and they want to help you get educated, see through the myths and misinformation that are out there, and eventually get caught up and vaccinated.

They understand that terminating the physician-patient relationship over vaccines truly is a last resort for “when a substantial level of distrust develops, significant differences in the philosophy of care emerge, or poor quality of communication persists.”

So what can you do besides arguing?

Pediatricians and other health care providers can agree to get better educated about all of the different ways to talk to vaccine-hesitant parents.

And vaccine-hesitant parents can agree to get educated about vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases using books and websites that are recommended by their provider.

Reassure your pediatrician that you are not done talking about vaccines and agree to get educated about vaccines:

Immunization Education Agreement Form

Even if you think that you have already done enough research, do just a little more. And then talk to you pediatrician again. And again if you have to.

Vaccines are safe. Vaccines are necessary. Don’t let anyone scare you into thinking that they aren’t.

Whether you find yourself on opposite sides about immunizations with a friend, your spouse, an ex, or your pediatrician, agree to get educated about vaccines using these recommended and reliable sources of information and then talk about it some more.

• AAP – Responding to Parental Refusals of Immunization of Children
• AAP – Countering Vaccine Hesitancy
• AAP – Child Vaccination Across America
• AAP – Addressing Common Concerns of Vaccine-Hesitant Parents
• AAP – Childhood Immunization: When Physicians and Parents Disagree
• CDC – Vaccines for Your Children
• CDC – Talking to Parents About Vaccines
• WHO – Immunizations
• Clear answers & smart advice about your baby’s shots by Ari Brown, MD
• Vax Hesitant Loved Ones Toolkit
• Autism Science Foundation
• Debunking Denialism
• Emily Willingham
• Epidemiological
• Every Child By Two
• EZIZ
• Families Fighting Flu
• Gavi The Vaccine Alliance
• Harpocrates Speaks
• the History of Vaccines
• Immunization Action Coalition
• Immunize Canada
• Immunize for Good
• Institute for Vaccine Safety
• I Speak of Dreams
• Dr. Jen Gunter
• Just the Vax
• Left Brain Right Brain
• The Logic of Science
• Losing in the Lucky Country
• Measles & Rubella Initiative
• National Meningitis Association
• Moms Who Vax
• National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
• Neurologica
• NDsForVaccines
• Northern Rivers Vaccination Supporters
• Nurses Who Vaccinate
• On The Fence About Vaccines (Facebook)
• Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases
• The Pediatric Insider
• PedsGeekMD
• Quackwatch
• Rational Catholic
• Reasonable Hank
• Red Wine & apple sauce
• Respectful Insolence
• Shot of Prevention
• the Skeptical OB
• Skeptical Raptor
• Skeptic North
• Skeptico
• Skewed Distribution
• The Poxes Blog
• Steven Novella
• Stories from the Trauma Bay
• Tara C. Smith
• The Thinking Persons Guide to Autism
• TIP Talk
• Vaccinate Your Family
• the Vaccine Blog
• Vaccine Education Center
• the Vaccine Mom
• the Vaccine Page (Facebook)
• Violent Metaphors
• Voices for Vaccines
• ZDoggMD

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Google

• Vaccine Education