Our Approach to Vaccines

At Julie Tomberlin MD PA, we are committed to keeping children healthy, safe, and protected from serious illness. One of the most important ways we do this is through routine childhood vaccinations.

We follow the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended immunization schedule, which is carefully designed to protect children when they are most vulnerable.

We understand that parents may have questions or concerns—and we welcome those conversations. Our goal is to partner with you, provide clear information, and help you feel confident in your child’s care.

Our Vaccine Policy

We are a vaccinating pediatric practice and require patients to follow the recommended vaccine schedule.

• We do not offer alternative or delayed vaccine schedules, as these leave children unprotected during critical periods.
• We do make exceptions for true medical contraindications (such as certain chemotherapy treatments), which can be discussed with Dr. Julie.

This policy is in place to:

• Protect your child
• Protect other vulnerable patients in our office (including newborns and medically fragile children)
• Ensure we are providing care aligned with the best available medical evidence

Why Vaccines Are Given on a Schedule

The timing of vaccines is not random—it is based on decades of research.

Vaccines are scheduled to:

• Protect early, when children are at highest risk of severe disease
• Build immunity before exposure (many of these diseases spread easily)
• Provide the strongest and longest-lasting protection
• Reduce complications, hospitalizations, and long-term effects

Delaying vaccines does not make them safer—it extends the time your child is vulnerable to preventable illness.

Vaccine Safety: What the Evidence Shows

We know vaccine safety is one of the most important concerns for parents.

Vaccines are among the most extensively studied medical interventions in the world.

• Hundreds of large-scale studies across multiple countries show vaccines are safe and effective
• Vaccine safety is continuously monitored through multiple national and international systems
• Serious side effects are extremely rare

Vaccines and Autism

Concerns about a link between vaccines and autism have been studied extensively.

• The original study suggesting a link has been retracted, and the author lost his medical license
• Since then, numerous high-quality studies involving hundreds of thousands of children have shown:
• Vaccines do NOT cause autism

Thimerosal

• Removed from routine childhood vaccines (except some flu vaccines) out of an abundance of caution
• Even before removal, studies showed no evidence of harm

An Integrative Medicine Perspective

Dr. Julie Tomberlin is board certified in both Pediatrics and Integrative Medicine. This means she has advanced training in looking at health through a broader lens—considering nutrition, environmental exposures, immune function, and the whole child.

Through this integrative approach, vaccines are not viewed as a one-size-fits-all topic to avoid thoughtful discussion—but rather something to be carefully evaluated using both conventional medical evidence and a whole-body perspective.

After extensive review of the scientific literature, safety data, and long-term outcomes, Dr. Julie continues to strongly recommend routine childhood vaccinations because:

• The benefits clearly outweigh the risks
• Vaccines support the immune system in a targeted and controlled way, rather than through unpredictable natural infection
• Preventing serious illness is a key part of supporting a child’s overall long-term health

Our goal is always to combine thoughtful, individualized care with evidence-based medicine, so families can feel confident in their decisions.

For Parents Seeking a More Integrative Conversation

We recognize that some families want a deeper discussion about vaccines through an integrative or whole-body health lens.

We are happy to partner with you in these conversations, including:

• Supporting your child’s overall immune health through nutrition, sleep, and lifestyle
• Discussing how vaccines interact with the immune system
• Reviewing your child’s individual health history and any specific concerns

At the same time, our medical recommendation remains consistent:
Routine childhood vaccination on schedule is the safest and most effective way to protect your child from serious disease.

We believe it is possible to honor thoughtful questions while still making clear, evidence-based recommendations.

Helpful, Trusted Resources

We encourage parents to review evidence-based information: 

• American Academy of Pediatrics: https://www.healthychildren.org
• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Vaccine Education Center: https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
• Vaxopedia: https://vaxopedia.org

If you ever come across information online and aren’t sure what to believe—please bring it to us. We’re happy to talk through it with you.

Common Side Effects

Most vaccines are very well tolerated.

Common (and expected) side effects include:

• Soreness at the injection site
• Mild fever
• Fussiness or fatigue

These typically resolve within 1–3 days.

If you ever have concerns after your child receives a vaccine, please call us—we are here to help.

What to Expect at Your Visit

At every vaccine visit, we will:

• Provide a Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) for each vaccine
• Review what your child is receiving
• Answer any questions you may have

Diseases We Prevent with Vaccination

Diphtheria (Prevented by Tdap)

Diphtheria is a very contagious bacterial disease that affects the respiratory system. It can cause a thick coating in the throat, making it hard to breathe, and can lead to heart failure, paralysis, or death.
Vaccination protects children early from a toxin-producing infection that can become life-threatening very quickly.

Hepatitis A (Prevented by HepA)

Hepatitis A is a liver infection spread through contaminated food or surfaces. Symptoms can range from mild illness to severe liver failure.
Young children often spread this infection easily, even without symptoms, so early vaccination helps protect both your child and the community.

Hepatitis B (Prevented by HepB)

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that affects the liver and can become chronic, leading to long-term liver damage or cancer.
Vaccination starting in infancy protects against lifelong infection that is much harder to treat once acquired.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) (Prevented by HPV Vaccine)

HPV is a very common virus that can cause multiple types of cancer later in life.
Vaccinating in childhood and early adolescence provides the strongest immune response and protects well before exposure occurs.

Influenza (Prevented by Annual Flu Vaccine)

Influenza is a highly contagious respiratory illness that can cause severe complications, even in healthy children.
Because flu strains change each year, annual vaccination is the best way to reduce risk of severe illness and hospitalization.

Measles (Prevented by MMR)

Measles is one of the most contagious viral diseases and can lead to pneumonia, brain swelling, or death.
The vaccine is timed to protect children before school exposure, where rapid spread can occur.

Meningococcal Disease (Prevented by Meningococcal Vaccine)

This serious bacterial infection can cause meningitis or bloodstream infections and can be fatal within hours.
Vaccination is especially important before adolescence, when risk of severe disease increases.

Mumps (Prevented by MMR)

Mumps causes swelling of the salivary glands and can lead to meningitis, hearing loss, or fertility issues.
Vaccination helps prevent complications that, while uncommon, can have lifelong effects.

Pertussis (Whooping Cough) (Prevented by Tdap)

Pertussis causes severe coughing fits and is especially dangerous for infants, often requiring hospitalization.
Vaccinating older children and adults helps protect babies who are too young to be fully vaccinated.

Pneumococcal Disease (Prevented by Pneumococcal Vaccine)

Pneumococcal bacteria can cause ear infections, pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections.
Young children are at higher risk of severe disease, making early vaccination especially important.

Polio (Prevented by IPV)

Polio is a viral illness that can cause paralysis and, in severe cases, death.
Vaccination has nearly eliminated polio worldwide, but continued protection is essential to prevent its return.

Rubella (German Measles) (Prevented by MMR)

Rubella is usually mild in children but can cause devastating birth defects if a pregnant woman becomes infected.
Vaccinating children helps protect future pregnancies and prevents congenital rubella syndrome.

Tetanus (Lockjaw) (Prevented by Tdap)

Tetanus bacteria enter through cuts in the skin and produce toxins that cause painful muscle tightening and difficulty breathing.
Because tetanus lives in the environment and cannot be eliminated, vaccination is the only reliable protection.

Varicella (Chickenpox) (Prevented by Varicella Vaccine)

Chickenpox causes an itchy rash and can lead to serious complications such as skin infections, pneumonia, or brain inflammation.
Vaccination prevents both immediate illness and later complications like shingles.