Your pediatric providers at Chapel Hill Pediatrics and Adolescents (CHPA) care deeply for the health and well-being of your child. One of the most essential services we provide our patients is vaccination against life-threatening diseases. Our practice believes in the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and supports the recommended vaccine schedule published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Our Policy
1. Adherence to Immunization Guidelines:
- Our practice advises that all children and adolescents adhere to the vaccine schedule published by the American Academy of Pediatrics https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/immunizations/Pages/Recommended-Immunization-Schedules.aspx
2. Vaccinations for School Entry:
- Our practice advises that children and adolescents receive all vaccines that are required for school entry by the state of North Carolina. https://www.dph.ncdhhs.gov/programs/epidemiology/immunization/schools
- Vaccines that are not required for school entry but are part of the AAP vaccine schedule are strongly encouraged but remain optional for patients. (Rotavirus vaccine, Hepatitis A vaccine, Human Papillomavirus vaccine)
- Seasonal vaccinations are not required for school entry but are part of the AAP vaccine schedule and remain optional for patients.
(Influenza, Covid and RSV antibody)
3. Documentation and Compliance:
- For new patients to our practice starting January 1, 2026, a plan must be documented to ensure that vaccines will be received. Delaying or altering the vaccine schedule puts children and adolescents at risk for developing serious illnesses. If families chose to split vaccines between the well child/adolescent visits then these patients will need to be up to date by age two, six, twelve and seventeen years of age with the required vaccines for school entry.
- Patients that have a medical exemption due to an acute illness or chronic medical condition will have a plan documented for when it is advised that they receive vaccines.
- For existing patients that have had an alternate vaccine schedule or have not received vaccines, our practice will continue to provide care for these patients. We will continue to provide education and updates regarding vaccines and encourage you to consider vaccination to help protect your child and provide community immunity. Vaccination declination forms will be signed and scanned into the medical record. New siblings born after January 1, 2026, will need to adhere to this vaccine policy.
- As indicated above, vaccines that are not a requirement for school entry in North Carolina are strongly encouraged but remain optional for patients.
4. New Patients Non-compliant with our Vaccine Policy
- New patients entering our practice after January 1, 2026, that do not intend to follow the vaccine schedule published by the AAP and our vaccine policy, except for a documented medical reason, will need to find another healthcare provider.
The development of vaccines is considered one of the greatest public health advances of the past century. Our practice has created this policy to protect children and adolescents from life-threatening diseases that are preventable. We are dedicated to the health and well-being of our patients and community.
