Patient Services

Immunization



Why Are Vaccines Important?


Vaccines "teach" your body how to defend itself when germs, such as viruses or bacteria, invade it:

  • Vaccines expose you to a very small, very safe amount of viruses or bacteria that have been weakened or killed.
  • Your immune system then learns to recognize and attack the infection if you are exposed to it later in life.
  • As a result, you will not become ill, or you may have a milder infection. This is a natural way to deal with infectious diseases.

The AAP strongly recommends on-time routine immunizations for all children. We at ELM Pediatrics follow the guidelines set forth by this committee. We do allow an alternate dosing schedule of vaccines for special circumstances; however, vaccines must begin by 6 months of age. As a practice, we cannot provide care to completely unvaccinated children as it puts our smaller patients and immunocompromised patients, who are unable to get certain vaccines, at risk. Please discuss any vaccine concerns with your Provider at your child’s well child visit.


For a few weeks after birth, babies have some protection from germs that cause diseases. This protection is passed from their mother through the placenta before birth. After a short period, this natural protection goes away.

Vaccines help protect against many diseases that used to be much more common. Examples include tetanus, diphtheria, mumps, measles, pertussis (whooping cough), meningitis, and polio. Many of these infections can cause serious or life-threatening illnesses and may lead to life-long health problems. Because of vaccines, many of these illnesses are now rare.

Immunization Schedules

Click the image below to view the CDC recommended vaccination schedule.



Meet and Greet Appointments

ELM Pediatrics is accepting new patients! We encourage you to schedule a "Meet and Greet" to find out if our practice is a good fit for your family.