If you have children, then you likely have questions about vaccinations. Enter: The Vaccine Answer Book
: 200 Essential Answers to Help You Make the Right Decisions for Your Child. I was excited to see this book because I do have questions about the safety and health benefits/dangers wrapped up in vaccinations. Sometimes I wonder if the benefit is not overwhelmed by the risk and since we have a family history that contains some bad reactions to vaccines, we’ve been pretty cautious with our children.
This book was written by Dr. Jamie Loehr, M.D., F.A.A.F.P. and in the introduction to the book she tells you straight up that she is pro-vaccination. She supports what she calls the “herd immunity” approach which is pro-everyone being fully vaccinated. That said, she also says that she supports parents who feel that the best thing for their child is to eliminate some lesser important vaccinations and/or a less rigorous schedule. I appreciate her honesty in stating what she believes up front, and her flexibility in acknowledging that parents have the ability to make good decisions for their children. That is a really crucial opinion that catches my attention whenever stated!
The Vaccine Answer Book takes a step-by-step approach to vaccinations, first explaining the benefits and what might happen if we stopped various, individual vaccinations. Then she walks you through the vaccinations themselves, including timelines, explaining what each one is, what it does, what the side effects might be, and what the overall benefit is from receiving it. These are the questions she asks:
“How effective is the ______ vaccination?”
“How serious and how common are the side effects . . . ?”
“What are the medical reasons not to give the ____ vaccination?”
She concludes each round of questioning by stating her opinion on the medication in question. Fabulous resource book!
I highly recommend it as it is written very knowledgeably and yet it still assumes that the parents have brains and know how to use them. Again, I really appreciate that (because it’s true). Questions about what is the best and healthiest thing for your child and your family? Check out this book!
Would you like to WIN a copy of this book? Sourcebooks, the publisher, has generously offered a copy to one reader. To win, please leave a comment below (U.S. Residents only, please). We’ll announce a winner in next Wednesday’s giveaway post.
The winner of last week’s giveaway The Hiccupotamus is #32 Jen N, and the lucky recipients of the Catching Fire package giveaway are #92 Emily, #85 Jennifer R, and #100 Kawthar A.Kabir. Congrats!
Carrie comes by her book obsession honestly, having descended from a long line of bibliophiles. She blogs about books regularly at Reading to Know.
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I would love this book. I have a 4 month old baby so this is a topic I am very interested in right now.
Vaccines, their benefits and consequences is an extremely important and controversial topic. I’d love to read this book, then pass it on to my good friend who just had a baby.
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Thanks for the review! The book sounds really interesting. I agree that it is so important that an author states where they are coming from right up front. Makes me take them much more serious.
I don’t need a copy of this book, but I wanted to let everyone know that there is a similar book out called “The Vaccine Book” written by Dr. Sears. He is for vaccinating, but on a spread out schedule.
Please include me in your giveaway.
Thanks
Debbie
debdesk9(at)verizon.net
Ohh I would love to have this book! I’ve read the vaccine book, but would love another opinion!
I am so interested in this!
I would love a copy of this book. My baby is 8 weeks old and I need to make some decisions before he goes for his 2 month check-up.
This would come in handy!
Yes, this would be a wonderful book to have on hand. Thanks.
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I would love a copy of this book so I don’t have to go on the web to defend/refresh my memory on each vaccine. thanks for offering!
I’m not interested in a copy of the book.
I wanted to let people know that if you oppose abortion, you need to know that the rubella vaccine, the chicken pox vaccine and Hep A vaccine ALL came from cells from aborted babies and there is NO alternative for these. http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/medical_ethics/me0044.html We spoke to our own pediatrician this month and he confirmed this information.
My children will not be receiving these vaccines (Hep A, rubella, chickenpox). I can’t do it with a clear conscience.
I have a 5-week-old daughter and am very much concerned about vaccines. i would love to have this book to guide me in making an informed decision.
Well, I would be very interested in this book. I have one other vaccine book I have read but having this one would add to the library.