American Pediatricians Update Childhood Vaccine Recommendations.....

Itasca, IL - The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the largest professional association of pediatricians in the United States, has updated it's official policy on childhood vaccines.

Human child Sample Wellington, shown here getting her vaccines with dedication and poise, which is something that maybe only one in two thousand kids can do

"What? Oh, vaccines? Yeah, we have vaccines," AAP President Sandy Chung, MD explained. "I mean, sure they've saved like a bunch of lives, but kind of boring, if you ask me."

In the new policy statement, the AAP makes it clear that vaccines are fine and that lots of people have benefited from them. According to Chung, however, they aren't the only option. "Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against vaccines. Remember that time they got rid of smallpox? You can choose vaccines or something else. You can pick."

Another change made in the 2023 update is a focus on how vaccines aren't really for everybody. Chung, who was elected to lead the AAP beginning in January, is particularly concerned that some people just aren't vaccine material. "No, no, you're cool. I'm just not sure that you're...vaccine cool. Can we maybe interest you in some vitamins instead?"

Most importantly, the AAP doesn't want to tell people what to do. Chung, who has held more than 30 state and national leadership positions, believes that you are smart and capable of making up your own mind. "We could just tell you that vaccines are safe and effective at preventing a number of serious diseases, but we respect you too much to assume that you don't already know that."

Finally, the statement emphasizes that caregivers have plenty of time to think about the decision to allow their children to be vaccinated. In fact, Chung, who received her medical degree from the University of Virginia and has published articles on telemedicine, virtual learning, and health information technology, thinks that rushing into a decision isn't a good idea anyway. "Is your child even ready? I mean, would they even sit still for a vaccine? Some kids just develop at a slower pace than others but we still love them anyway, right?"