Dear Health Care Providers and Concerned Parents and Citizens:

We are seeking support for Maryland House Bill 1481, which aims to protect adolescents from vaccine preventable diseases like pertussis, meningitis, flu, and HPV. A February 2017 report from the American Academy of Pediatrics stated that a strong provider recommendation is the most important factor in increasing adolescent vaccination rates. Currently, vaccination rates for two of the four recommended adolescent vaccinations are below 50%.

The bill calls for every licensed primary care provider to:

(1) screen all adolescents for all CDC-recommended immunizations during every "non-emergent" medical encounter;

(2) issue a strong recommendation for any missing vaccination(s); and

(3) document declinations in the medical record.

This bill is not about mandating vaccines and it does not preclude a provider from sharing his/her own opinion about a particular vaccine. Instead, it encourages providers to educate families about life-saving vaccines so they can make informed decisions about their child's health.

We hope you will join our effort to ensure that our adolescents are protected. Please sign the Petition if you agree.