The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child

by Robert Sears
The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child
book data
464 ratings, 4.27 average rating, 177 reviews (more data...)
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published
October 22nd 2007 by Little, Brown and Company

binding
Paperback, 208 pages

isbn
0316017507    (isbn13: 9780316017503)

description
With the recent spate of publicity surrounding the possible health risks posed by childhood immunization, parents are no longer simply following docto...more




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Sarah Hofhine
08/22/08
Sarah Hofhine rated it: 5 of 5 stars

Read in August, 2008
recommends it for: any parent with vaccination questions
This book is awesome! He gives a very balanced, easy to read picture of all the aspects of each childhood vaccine and the disease it protects against. If you are on the fence about vaccinations or just concerned about the volume given at a time, this will help you make a really, truly informed decision.

One word of note: after reading each chapter (and even the whole book) I was kind of in despair for a bit, because basically there are some nasty chances either way, vaccinate or not...more
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Holly
08/08/08
Holly rated it: 3 of 5 stars

Read in September, 2008
I thought the layout of this book was easy to read. Dr. Sears explains the risks and prevalence of each disease as well as the risks of each vaccination. Although I was already familiar with ingredients in vaccines I still found that section fascinating and disgusting. I am also amazed at the process of creating vaccines. Ultimately this book helped me decide to cross a few vaccines off my list, while keeping most. Some of the diseases were not as scary as I had imagined. Also, it helped m...more
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Anna
01/20/09
Anna rated it: 5 of 5 stars

bookshelves: non-fiction
Read in January, 2009
After searching and searching for the "right" book to read up on vaccinations, I finally picked this one largely due to the diverse reviews. Some people thought Dr. Sears leaned toward vaccinations and others thought he argued against. Sounded like he might just be objective to me. I certainly didn't want to read a book based on scare tactics and horror stories designed to just frighten the reader. This is a great book that gives you all the facts you need to make an informed and confi...more
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Stephanie
08/21/08
Stephanie rated it: 2 of 5 stars

Read in July, 2008
I read this book to prepare myself for the onslaught of questions about vaccines from families in my practice. Dr. Sears (the author is actually the son of the famous Dr. Sears, this might fool some people) does present each vaccine and the disease it prevents in a nicely organized (and apparently researched) way. He also lays out the issues that, in the media and general public, seem to be surrounding the vaccines. The book is easy to read and probably will be helpful to those parents who ha...more
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Stephanie
12/09/08
Stephanie rated it: 5 of 5 stars

Read in November, 2008
recommends it for: ALL MOMS/MOMS-TO-BE
I really love this book as a reference point for making decisions about your child's vaccinations. It seems like so much of the stuff out there is completely anti-vaccine, or completely pro-vaccine (i.e. accept everything your doctor tells you without question). I love being educated about my child's health and my options in caring for her.

This book is very comprehensive and well organized. It goes through each of the recommended vaccinations: the disease it's immunizing against, ...more
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Michael
01/17/09
Michael rated it: 4 of 5 stars

bookshelves: medical
Read in January, 2009
Gives the skinny on the vaccine controversy from a Pediatrician's perspective. Best info out there that's not from wacko-land. Respected by doctors and granolas alike. I wish Dr. Sears would share his own feelings a bit more, but he leaves you with enough data to make a good decision.
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Corri
02/02/09
Corri rated it: 5 of 5 stars

A must read for moms! Very informative and non biased. Gives good info so the reader can INFORMED decisions.
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Audrey
02/05/09
Audrey rated it: 5 of 5 stars

I think this is a great informative book for anyone who has children or will one day have them. This is NOT an anti-vaccine book. It is up to us to know what is in the vaccines that we give our children so that we can make informed decisions.
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Kelly
01/19/09
Kelly rated it: 4 of 5 stars

bookshelves: nonfiction, owned, parenting
Read in March, 2008
I haven't read any other books on vaccines, and after reading this one I really don't feel like I need to. Every other vaccine book I had thumbed through was painfully one-sided--either they would say that if you didn't vaccinate your child on the same schedule as everyone else, you were putting the health of everyone else in the country at risk, or they would say that vaccines are always bad and aren't worth it compared to the diseases they protect against. My feelings on the issue were definit...more
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Robyn
01/13/09
Robyn rated it: 4 of 5 stars

I am not a huge fan of the Dr. Sears Books (I think he can be over the top with respect to his views on attachment parenting, imposing guilt on those of us who, in modern society, simply cannot be tethered to our children all day long) but I think this book is a great resource. As a new Mom, I had no clue how to approach the immunization issue, despite having done quite a bit of research. This book lays it all out for you - the risks and benefits of each vaccine that the American Academy of Pe...more
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Heather
06/12/09
Heather rated it: 5 of 5 stars

Read in May, 2009
I think this book is a must-read for any parent. Usually when you tell people you're reading a book because you want to know more about vaccines, they think you're some kind of nut who doesn't want to vaccinate your child. The approach of this book, however, is to inform parents so that they can make educated decisions about which vaccines to give their children, when to give them, and what the ingredients and potential side effects are of each vaccine. We had some concerns about the effects of ...more
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Liss
05/05/09
Liss rated it: 5 of 5 stars

This book was amazing--yes, he's a doctor, but it really is the one and only authoritative book on vaccination (and it's NOT an anti-vaccine book).
First off, he goes through all twelve vaccines available to kids, telling about if it is common, serious, treatable, and when the vaccine is given and how it is made and includes side effects.
Then he talks about why or why not to get the vaccination.

One thing I've learned about anything medical: if you introduce an interven...more
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Pamela
06/02/09
Pamela rated it: 4 of 5 stars

bookshelves: nonfiction
Read in June, 2009
From Publishers Weekly
Sears, coauthor of several books in the Sears Parenting series, addresses one of today's most controversial and worrisome questions. Sears' goal is "to give you a balanced look at pros and cons of vaccination so that you can make an educated decision." Sears does not advocate for or rail against vaccination, stating it doesn't have to be an all or nothing decision-there are choices. The first 12 chapters discuss each vaccination in the childhood series, prov...more
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Emilie
11/19/08
Emilie rated it: 4 of 5 stars

Read in June, 2008
recommends it for: Parents
One of the best books for parents on this subject. I have read too many books that try to scare you one way or the other. I was thrilled to finally find a doctor that while he is pro-vaccine, recognizes the unanswered, possibly dangerous aspects of vaccines. He presents this in a way that helps parents make wise decisions based on facts, not just scare tactics. He presents a couple of good options for parents who wish to vaccinate, but have educated concerns about the recommended vaccine sch...more
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Lisa
12/28/08
Lisa rated it: 5 of 5 stars

Read in January, 2009
recommends it for: parents with questions about vaccines
This book was so great. I feel like I am much more informed about the vaccine issue. I'd heard some bad things about vaccines in the media and from friends, but wasn't sure what I wanted to do.

So I sheepishly told my doctor that I was doing vaccines with our daughter, but that I only wanted one shot at each visit. I really didn't have any basis for this, it just seemed like one shot was more than enough.

Going in I was pretty moderate when it came to vaccines. I knew tha...more
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Melissa Andrews
12/03/08
Melissa Andrews rated it: 3 of 5 stars

bookshelves: for-baby-toddler
Read in November, 2007
recommended to Melissa by: moms on babycenter.com
recommends it for: expecting parents
I read this book after I'd had my first child (he was about two months old at the time), so I'd already started with a pediatrician who believed in the AAP's vaccine schedule. She's really nice though and I like her, so I continued with her and the schedule. I may change my mind if I have another child.

What I liked about this book was that it was balanced. Many of the vaccine books are full of shock and horror - I think they're intended to give a parent nightmares. Dr. Sears pres...more
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Katherine Murray
05/26/09
Katherine Murray rated it: 5 of 5 stars

Read in November, 2008
recommended to Katherine by: military wife message board that I belong to
recommends it for: parents
I felt empowered after reading this book to make decisions regarding Charlotte's immunizations. Because she isn't in daycare and she is breast-fed, there are several vax's that she won't be getting at all and/or on a delayed schedule. And this is not because I am worried about autism (this cited as one reason that parents don't/delay vaccinations). It is just incredible and scary to read the ingredients in these vaccinations and the number of shots our little ones are getting at one time. I ...more
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Carrie
11/24/08
Carrie rated it: 5 of 5 stars

A must read for parents who want to become more educated with the vaccines their children are "required" to get... I don't believe in herd immunity, and didn't think we would NOT get the vaccines, but I wanted a different approach than the typical APA schedule.

This book explains that it's not mercury that's the issue anymore, but exposure to high levels of aluminum. Also, it gives detailed information on exactly what components (preservatives, tissue, etc.) are in each ...more
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Taylor
05/08/09
Taylor rated it: 5 of 5 stars

bookshelves: non-fiction, parenting
Read in May, 2009
I still haven't decided what vaccines Arthur should have - if any - but Dr. Sears thoughtful and well researched book certainly helped clarify a lot of the issues for me. Of all the reading I have done about vaccines (both for and against) this book comes the closest to being actually neutral information, as well as fairly complete and very understandable information.

Those of you who haven't read the ingredients and possible side-effects of vaccines can't really grasp how important ...more
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Shana
04/25/09
Shana rated it: 2 of 5 stars

bookshelves: childrens-health
I was recommended this book saying it is unbiased - it's really not though. It's a pro-vax book, just at least one that respects the readers choice not to vaccinate. I am not fooled by this approach (saying you are unbiased while delivering a biased opinion) What I learned from this book is that people who give the chicken pox vaccine and the rota virus vaccine must be completely detached from the reality of their child's health care. I personally though, wont be giving my children any more vac...more
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quotes from this book

"Most anti-vaccine books claim that all shots are bad, the diseases aren't really anything to fear, and as long as you live a natural and healthy lifestyle, you don't have to worry. I think this is a very irresponsible approach to the vaccine issue. Vaccines are beneficial in ridding our population of both serious and nonserious diseases." More quotes...


groups with this book

Modern Mommies
Natural Parenting






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