12/07/2025
At Chapin Pediatrics, our responsibility is to safeguard the health and well-being of the children and families we serve. As your child’s medical home, our relationship with your family is built over time through newborn visits, well checks, sick visits, and countless conversations. There is something genuinely special about this relationship. We know your child, we know your family, and we make recommendations within the context of a long-standing partnership focused entirely on your child’s health and future.
We know that parents want to do what is best for their children. We want parents to trust that we also want what is best for their children. Every recommendation we make including vaccines is rooted in compassion and a sincere desire to protect and help every child entrusted to us.
Vaccinations are an essential part of preventive pediatric care and are among the most thoroughly studied, effective, and safe medical interventions available. We understand that words like “thoroughly studied” or “safe” may not feel reassuring to some parents, because trust in medical and public health messaging has been shaken in so many areas. We get it. We see what you see and we read what you read. The amount of information and misinformation can be overwhelming.
We want you to understand that at Chapin Pediatrics we practice evidence-based medicine. We cannot make decisions on a whim or based on personal opinion. We have a duty to you and to your child to provide competent, compassionate, and ethical care. To provide this care, we must rely on high-quality data from research and studies that are conducted properly and reviewed critically. Anything less would be malpractice.
Are all studies done well? No. Is all research data reliable? No. Is all the information we read online or hear about accurate? No. Our medical training involves learning about the hierarchical system of classifying evidence because not all studies are created equal. Some are strong; others are weak. Results can be influenced by study design or how data is interpreted or presented. Not all the information that you or I read is accurate or reliable. All of the information that gets published is not trustworthy. So that leads us to trust. Who or what do I trust? Who or what do you trust? Who or what can be trusted? I am right there with you that today’s information environment can be overwhelming with all the conflicting messages. It breeds distrust. So, again, who or what do I trust? Over the past several decades, hundreds of high-quality studies reviewing data from hundreds of thousands of children have examined vaccine safety. These studies consistently show that recommended childhood vaccines are very safe and that serious long-term side effects are extremely rare compared with the dangers of the diseases they prevent.
Are we saying vaccines are 100% risk-free? Absolutely not. We also know that no medication is 100% safe including the antibiotics we routinely prescribe for an ear infection. Nearly everything in medicine carries some degree of risk. But I can tell you what we know with certainty. Diseases disappear when vaccination rates rise. Diseases return when vaccination rates fall. Vaccinated children have dramatically lower infection and hospitalization rates than unvaccinated children. Large, well-designed studies over many decades show that vaccines prevent illness, complications, and death.
Chapin Pediatrics has always been confident that vaccines prevent serious illness and save lives. We have always encouraged families to follow the recommended vaccine schedule published by the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics:
CDC/AAP Immunization Schedule: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/
We also openly acknowledge the risks associated with vaccines, as outlined in each vaccine’s Vaccine Information Sheet (VIS). We provide VIS documents at every visit when a vaccine is given. Current VIS materials can be found here:
Current VIS Documents: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/current-vis/index.html
Recently, our providers have spent considerable time reflecting on the concerns and circulating information about vaccines. It is clear we need to strengthen our conversations with families as we remain committed to clarity, honesty, compassion, and evidence-based guidance. We also recognize the need to address our longstanding vaccination policy, which required that children under our care follow the recommended schedule. While this policy was guided by evidence and a sincere desire to protect children, we have decided to reconsider it. We want to create room for meaningful dialogue, to reduce barriers to care, and to ensure that every family feels heard, supported, and valued as we navigate these conversations together.
We still believe strongly and unequivocally that vaccines are one of the most powerful tools to protect children: your child, the newborn in the waiting room, the medically fragile child who cannot be fully vaccinated, and the broader community that depends on high levels of immunity to remain safe.
Lest there be any confusion: the stakes remain high. Vaccine preventable illnesses and deaths are increasing across the country. These are facts not fear tactics. Nearly everything in medicine requires weighing risks and benefits. At this moment in time, the benefits of vaccination overwhelmingly outweigh the risks. Yes, we understand vaccines carry inherent risks but the risk of serious harm from the diseases they prevent is far greater.
We want families to know how seriously we take our responsibility. We care for every child as if they were our own. The recommendations we make including those regarding vaccines are the same choices we make for our own daughters and sons.
Your trust is deeply valued, and we never take it lightly. We are honored to partner with you in every aspect of your child’s care. Our commitment is to provide transparent communication, support informed and confident decision-making, and work alongside families in protecting the health of their children and our community. We encourage you to talk openly with your provider about your questions, concerns, and the best path forward for your child’s overall health and specifically regarding their vaccines. Every child and every family is unique, and we will always welcome honest dialogue grounded in evidence, focused on your child’s safety, and offered with respect.
I have invested many hours writing and refining this statement because I want it to reflect my heart and our intentions as clearly and compassionately as possible. I know that some parts may be confusing or may be received or felt differently than I intended. We respect that parenting is full of hard and meaningful decisions. Please understand and respect that the decisions we make as your medical team can be challenging as well. Please reach out to me or to your provider if you need clarification. We care deeply about you and your family, we are here to listen, and we are honored to walk this journey alongside you.
Respectfully
Luke Bonnett
Access and download current Vaccine Information Statements (VISs).
