The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child

by: Robert W. Sears, MD., F.A.A.P

Published by: Little, Brown and Company

Reviewed by Jamie Driggers

With the growing number of vaccines available and increasing controversy over them, parents are faced with staggering decisions. Should we vaccinate? Are the vaccines safe? Are all of them beneficial? Can we skip some and take others? Can we start late? If my child gets a disease I didn’t vaccinate against, will I ever forgive myself?

While only you will be able to answer the last question, Dr. Robert W. Sears does his best to help you answer the first questions and many others. He covers each of the recommended childhood vaccines in depth and touches on several of the “travel vaccines.” For the childhood vaccines, he discuses the disease, its commonality, degree of severity, and its treatability. He also goes in depth about when the vaccine is given, why it is given then, how the vaccine is made, what is in the vaccine and its side effects. He ends each section with reasons for and against giving the vaccine, travel considerations, options to consider and “the way I see it.”

I have a degree in microbiology, but first I am a mom. I want to make the very best decision for my children. My background only provides more questions for me. It certainly doesn’t make me blindly vaccinate. This book is a treasure for parents like me. Dr. Sears’ language is in depth, but not over your head. He is honest and well researched. It is obvious that he is pro-vaccinate, but he also can see the other side. I especially appreciated his “Selective Vaccination Schedule.” With this book in hand, parents can make wise decisions regarding vaccination and can even defend their decision. In this age of vaccination controversy, it is nice to have an almost unbiased resource from which we can make our decisions.

Armchair Interviews says: Lots info for parents.

Author’s Web site: http://www.AskDrSears.com/theVaccineBook