Let's Prevent Vaccine Preventable Illness!

Measles Outbreak 3/1/2025

Dear Johns Creek Pediatrics Families:

The news about the ongoing measles outbreak in Texas is cause for grave concern.  At this time there have been 165 cases of measles reported in 9 states, including one case Georgia.  Tragically, measles caused the death of an unvaccinated child in Texas last week.  Twenty percent of the people diagnosed with measles so far have required hospitalization.   95% of the infected patients were not vaccinated.  A childhood death is always tragic, but even more so when preventable.  Whenever we see declines in vaccination rates, there is an increase in vaccine preventable illness, whatever the disease.  The Texas community where the worst of the outbreak is happening has a high non vaccination rate, including 18% of incoming kindergarten students claiming exemption. 

Fake science, opinionated but uninformed influencers and extreme politics have led to a general distrust of vaccinations and other important preventative care recommendations.  The parents who were misled by these fallacious ideas are paying a high price.  Unfortunately, we will continue to see tragic illness and fatality from vaccine preventable disease as long as there are significant numbers of people who eschew recommended vaccines. 

Our practice follows current recommendations for vaccine schedules.  We will not continue to see families who choose not to vaccinate.  We have a duty to our families of immune compromised and young children to ensure that they will never come in contact with a vaccine preventable disease in our office.  In addition, when families do not trust us with recommendations around vaccines, they will likely not trust us in other areas.  Trust is the foundation of a doctor patient relationship, one that we take seriously.

We are the only business that tries to put ourselves out of business!  We want kids to stay healthy and out of the office, emergency room and hospital if we can help it.  We are all about prevention.  Our recommendations are not just blindly following guidelines, but we read the basic science articles and talk to our infectious disease colleagues.   

For accurate vaccine information from an academic pediatrician with no ties to big Pharma or government grants, please visit Vaccine Education Center | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. 

We take the Hippocratic Oath at medical school graduation, “First, do no harm.”  We take this charge very seriously as we do the trust you place in us when you choose us for your child’s health care. 

Please do not hesitate to ask us your questions about vaccines and vaccine safety.  Let’s keep our children and community healthy!