Vaccines & Vaccinations

We frequently receive letters from parents wishing to research vaccines and vaccinations prior to their next child's birth. Locally, we hold meetings to discuss the topic, and occasionally review books and research in a community setting. These are the books parents have told us are the most helpful in their decision making process. They are some of the most research based and not extremist or 'radical' either for or against vaccinations. Collectively, they simply present a good base of the literature and facts surrounding natural immunization, vaccination, the vaccines we have as options today, and the diseases currently present in our world.

The book we started researching vaccines and vaccination with is Dr. Sears' The Vaccine Book simply because Dr. Sears is such a well-known/well-trusted pediatrician. It is a quick, easy read, and although a lot of research is left out, it is meant to be a starting point for parents to make decisions from. He does not say "do" or "don't" on anything. Although he is pro-vax, he is also very much ALTERNATIVE vax - meaning, he (and the other Sears pediatricians) believe that the current CDC schedule of vaccinations is too much, too soon, too risky - and often unnecessary or better off without.

Vaccine Safety Manual: For Concerned Families and Health Professionals is an excellent *very expansive* book. It should be noted that there are 73 pages of referenced peer-reviewed medical research studies/empirical journal articles (about 4,015 total studies from renowned sources like the "British Medical Journal" "Pediatrics" "American Journal of Health" "American Journal of Medicine" "Journal of Clinical Virology" "Epidemiology and Infection" "Lancet" "Medical Microbiology and Immunology" "Journal of Immunology" "International Journal of Cancer" "European Journal of Cancer" "American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology" "Canadian Journal of Health" "Medical Journal of Australia" ...you get the picture). Parents and health professionals are able to check out the data for themselves if they so choose. Very well documented book. The author, interestingly enough, is a medical researcher and a MENSA member.

We also recommend and enjoy the book, How to raise a healthy child in spite of your doctor. Although the title is enough to scare off some, it is written by world-renowned pediatrician, Robert Mendelsohn. He truly knows his line of work better than anyone and spent his entire life researching, reviewing the research, and working directly with babies/children and the young adults they grew into. There is not as much documentation here as in Vaccine Safety Manual, and Mendelsohn's book is a bit dated, but it is still a good one to add to the list for making an overall choice in vaccination selection.

One final good book on the topic is Take Charge of your Child's Health by another renowned physician with a specialty in children's health (and father of 11 children himself): Dr. George Wootan. His book has one chapter on vaccinations divided into brief descriptions of each vaccine, the disease, the history, the effectiveness, the possible side effects, and statistics. There are about 80 studies cited (with full citations in the back) from which parents can do further research if they choose.

[This book also has an exceptional chapter on breastfeeding and baby feeding & nutrition, as well as several other aspects of baby health.]

Two additional books we've not yet reviewed but have heard good things about from other peaceful parenting readers and trusted sources include:

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

Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parents Guide 

*For natural means of boosting immunity, check out some of the resources on the Breastfeeding Books page.


Vaccine Book Collection found here on Amazon.