Immunization Information

Preparing for vaccines

You are the most important advocate for the health and well-being of your child. As parents, we want to protect our children from harm. Looking your child in the eyes and thinking or saying, “this is going to hurt but it will keep you healthy” is difficult in the moment. The bigger picture is that vaccines do protect our children from diseases that can be severe and life altering. Making informed decisions and supporting your child with that in mind will make the experience much easier. Indeed, a shot does hurt, but thankfully this is limited while its health benefits are long lasting.

To prepare yourself

• Know which vaccines your child is scheduled to receive.
• Read each Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) to gain an overview of the vaccine and the disease(s) that it prevents.
• For additional information, please read the corresponding Expanded Vaccine Information section.
• Prepare a list of outstanding questions that you may have in anticipation of your visit.
• Please schedule a “vaccine hesitant” appointment (prior to your child’s visit) if you have an extensive list of questions or concerns that cannot be addressed within a 5-10 minute period.
• If you are a new patient, please ensure that we have documentation of your child’s past immunizations.