What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations (Paperback)

~ (Author), Deborah Mitchell (Contributor) "A vaccine is a substance that attempts to protect people against disease..." (more)
Key Phrases: childhood vaccines, vaccinating your child, pertussis portion, United States, National Vaccine Information Center, Barbara Loe Fisher (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A MUST READ... An important resource that respects parents' intelligence and encourages them to be equal partners with doctors in deciding which vaccines their children should get and when they should get them. DR. CAVE'S TOPS ON REDUCING VACCINE RISKS WILL SAVE LIVES."
--Barbara Loe Fisher, cofounder and president, National Vaccine Information Center --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Description

In this book, Dr. Stephanie Cave explains vaccinationsthe pros and the cons. With detailed facts about each vaccination, as well as regulations and laws, this book provides easily understandable information to help parents make a knowledgeable, responsible choice about vaccinating their children.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446677078
• ISBN-13: 978-0446677073
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (105 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,140 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #1 in	Books > Science > Medicine > Basic Science > Immunology
  #8 in	Books > Science > Medicine > Specialties > Pediatrics

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

185 of 197 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely the best book I've read on this topic, June 6, 2003

By	heathbc888 (Corona del Mar, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Being a new parent, I wanted to review thorough, objective scientific data based on up-to-date and sound research principles before taking the plunge and making vaccination decisions on my child's behalf. This book provides all of that, and then some. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is extremely well laid out and complete with all the facts necessary to make your choices.

After reading this book all parents will understand 1) what vaccines are required for your children, and when; 2) what the different vaccines are made of; 3) the efficacy of the vaccines (and for how long they remain effective); 4) the range and rates of reactions to the vaccines; 5) your options related to the timing of the vaccines; 6) precautions that you can take on behalf of your children (including commercially available vaccine alternatives free of controversial additives); 7) an alternative vaccine schedule that Dr. Cave developed based on her experience (that really helped me a lot). Finally, if you choose to be a 'conscientious objector', the author provides information on how to prevent your child being jabbed without your consent.

In addition, all of Dr. Cave's research is referenced at the end of each paragraph should you wish to do additional research (I personally found that this was unnecessary however!). I am very relieved to have found this book prior to my daughter's first vaccination - I now feel completely educated on the (sometimes very emotional) topic of vaccinations. Whether you ultimately elect to have your child vaccinated to the extent that is recommended by health departments is up to you - but with this book you will be armed to the gills with the information you need to be confident about making those important decisions. This book is definitely a keeper. Once again, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

138 of 153 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a must read BEFORE your child gets vaccinated...invaluable!, September 30, 2001

By	Drakesplace (East Bay, CA) - See all my reviews

This book encourages parents "...to be equal partners with doctors in deciding which vaccines their children should get and when they should get them." The way this book achieves this goal is by offering important medical information in easy to understand terms. "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You..." provides detailed info on the various vaccines currently required/suggested by state and federal governments; reviewing indepth the history of the diseases and related vaccines, ingredients used to make and preserve the vaccines, background studies and recent research available on a variety of the vaccines and also a risk/benefit analysis per vaccination. What this book offers (that your doctor's office may not) is a look at both sides of the vaccination issue and gives YOU a well-rounded resource package so you can best decide when/what vaccines to give your child. Factors that can influence your decision include any known allergies, reactions to previous vaccinations, family history of autoimmune diseases and more. Also a help to parents is a list of precautions parents can take when their children get vaccinated and also a recommended schedule (that differs from the government's) for childhood vaccinations. This alternative vaccination timeline allows you to operate within the guidelines of the government mandate that all children receive a certain number of shots prior to entering school, but attempts to spread out the vaccinations for minimum exposure to risk and negative side effects. Did you know many vaccines used today include ingredients such as mercury, formaldehyde, ethylene glycol (a main ingredient in antifreeze) and more? Would you consume those poisons? Of course not, but vaccine manufacturers (and the CDC and FDA) seem to think it's okay for our kids to receive these poisons ad nauseam. Fortunately, each of today's required vaccinations come with a mercury-free alternative, but many doctors are still using those with mercury and you must request the safer alternative. Research and vaccination injury reporting systems indicate possible and/or obvious links to multiple adverse effects including irreparable diseases and death, but many doctors, educators and government institutions refuse to consider those possibilities, as it may endanger the successful mass-vaccination programs currently employed in this country. Included in this book is a discussion of the possible exemptions available to parents, which may include religious, medical or philosophical, depending upon the state in which you live. If you're not willing to trust this author's approach, there's a list of multiple resources at the end of the book allowing you to do your own research and form your own further educated opinion.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Balanced, Well Researched, Facts Based Information, November 14, 2002

By	NC Reader "NC Reader" (Cary, NC United States) - See all my reviews

After my infant daughter had an immediate physical reaction and a prolonged, 4-week neurological reaction to her routine 4-month vaccinations, I began searching for information about vaccines and safety that would help me determine the best, safest course of action with future vaccines. Searching the internet yielded an enormous amount of information - some of which is very alarmist and frightening and some of which is overly scientific and hard for a non-scientific parent to understand. It is very difficult to find information that is easy to understand, balanced presenting both the pros and the cons, and is comprehensive, facts-based and well-researched. This book is by far the most comprehensive and most useful information contained in a single cover that I have found. An added benefit is that the information is presented in such a way that it is a very compelling read - I read the 1st 100 pages within 3 hours after my amazon box arrived - while tending to a busy, crawling infant!

Who Can Benefit from this Book?
I believe that this book is a must read for all parents. Given that vaccinations are mandated by law it is very important for parents to understand as much as they can about vaccines. Parents have a responsibility to themselves, their children and our shared community to be informed on these matters. The subject of vaccines and their safety is much too complex for any pediatrician to adequately address with each individual parent that they serve. The most time I've spent with my pediatrician in a single visit is about 15-20 minutes max. The pros, cons, history of vaccines, past study findings, current research, etc., cannot be covered in such a short amount of time. As someone who is a proponent of vaccination programs and who believes strongly in doing what is best for the greater good in terms of public health, I found that the general statement from the medical staff at my pediatrician's office, that vaccines are safe and reactions are very rare, was not sufficient for me. I needed to know more, and thanks to this book now I do.

If you are a parent, even if your children have already been vaccinated, you will benefit from the knowledge gained by reading this book.