As a writer specializing in autism and developmental delays, I am frequently asked for advice about safe vaccination. I am so impressed I am with the job that Dr. Sears has done with this book. It is thoroughly researched and well-organized. Most importantly, it is easy to read.

I especially appreciate the fact that Dr. Sears kept his tone neutral throughout the book, making it possible for parents and professionals to make informed decisions without feeling alienated because of their beliefs. This is a book I will be recommending to those inside and outside of the autism community. I cannot think of a better gift for expecting parents.

Vaccines are such an issue these days. I loved that this book really talked about the pros and cons of each vaccine but it was a bit overwhelming. In the end I felt like I really didn't know what to do. I like the educational value of this book, but be prepared!

I got this book after my cousins child had a bad reaction to a vaccine. This book is easy to understand. It's set up so you don't have to read it cover to cover, but can read the sections that partain to you. Perfect for parents who are middle-of-the-road, want to vaccinate their children, but also want to be selective.

This book is very well laid out and informative. It is not biased either pro or con vaccines; it is just an information source. If you want to learn about what vaccines are out there, what is in them, what the diseases are, etc. then this is the book for you.

This book is great! It's very informative- discussing each disease, the incidence, what's in the vaccines and side effects. It's also very funny! That's an accomplishment given the subject matter! Dr. Bob gives the American Academy of Pediatrics vaccine schedule, and alternate schedules- one with all the vaccines spaced out and one with "core" vaccines. I found it very helpful- definitely recommend it, and already have to everyone I know with a baby or a baby on the way.

This book really helped us decide what to do for vaccines. It lists ingredients, and it gives arguments for both sides without telling you which way you should lean. Also suggests an alternative schedule which was really nice.

I am a family physician and find this book to be the most important source for information on all vaccines. I would recommend this book to all primary and pediatric physicians. The information is to the point and very informative. Dr. Sears has many great suggestions on how to deal with patients concerns. He is non-biased and non-judgemental. For the lay population, he explains all that is needed about vaccines and gives several alternatives geared to the parents concerns. I will recommend this book to all my pediatric parents and fellow physicians. I would rate this book a 5 star-super book

Excellent book about what goes into vaccinations and thinking twice before you blindly vaccinate your child or yourself. I decided to get one shot at a time for my baby, also following the selective schedule. Thanks to this book I was on the lookout for reactions and after one of each shot, we decided it was enough. After Dtap at 3 months, our baby quit babbling and withdrew for about 10 days, luckily recovered. We then did Prevnar and Hib at 4 months, to which he had inconsolable crying for 90 mins, a fever for 3 days, and projectile vomiting for 3 days. I wasn't confortable to risk the next reactions. We also did Polio to which he had no reaction. I have since continued to read other authors and have come to the conclusion if private insurance companies who do the best liability studies say they will NOT cover damage to life due to: Acts of God, Nuclear war, and vaccinations. Think about that along with the fact that you can't sue for damage thanks to our government protecting the makers, makes you wonder why would so many people want to, that it took an act of congress to protect the manufactures.

As a practicing pediatrician in Fort Worth, Texas, I refer to Dr. Sears' book daily. He humbly approaches the subject and reassures parents that vaccinating their child is a good decision. This is the most exhaustive independent review of vaccine manufacturing that I have seen. I have only minor quibbles. I have seen a case of tetanus. It was terrible. A home born newborn was infected from tying off of the umbilical cord in an unsterile condition. Second, I think he overstates the risk of aluminum; Australian data indicates up to 2mg a day is safe. However, if I had written a book with so much information, I am sure many of my colleagues would have an issue or two. Thank you, Dr. Sears, for your informative and helpful book. And God Bless all you parents working so hard for your children and their future. Frank McGehee, MD

This is the most amazing book on vaccines. It gives you all of the information you need to make an informed decision about your child's vaccines. It includes ingredients for each shot, as well as, the possible side effects.

Parents, this book is a must-read. If you don't purchase any other parenting book (justifiable, since there are enough reliable online resources to gorge on), this is the one to buy. Dr. Sears gives a balanced, holistic look at the vaccine question.

Dr. Sears is biased in favor of the medical community (why shouldn't he be? He's a doctor!), but what is so completely respectable about him is that 1) he admits his bias up front; 2) he tells you when his bias is affecting his recommendation for what vaccine to get when; and 3) he analyzes the research, knowing he has a bias, and works to mitigate his bias to be as objective as possible. That's one of the most respectable accomplishments I can think of.

I have a bias too! I am suspicious of the AMA, and believe that while most doctors are really great people, the government-pharmaceutical machine is out of control. I consider medicine akin to Enronesque Corporate America. And that makes it really difficult to *not* throw the baby out with the bathwater (excuse the idiom) when it comes to immunizations. I know some vaccines are beneficial. They have to be. Research aside, common sense tells us that. However, it's hard to separate out which vaccines are beneficial for your situation at what time. The fact that I felt like I was invited to dialogue with a member of the mainstream medical community is a huge testament to Dr. Sears' tone and intelligent approach to this book.

Thanks to Dr. Sears, I was able to go to my family practice doctor with an idea in mind tailored to my family's situation. Fortunately, my doctor and I were on the same page, and we executed a selective, delayed vaccination program that I am very happy with. I could not have accomplished this without Dr. Sears' straightforward analysis that assumes the reader is reasonable (not a tin-foil hat nut-job, as the AMA would like non-complying families to be viewed) and motivated. I love being treated with respect. The Sears family will forever have my gratitude and respect for daring to buck the AMA and the pharmaceutical-government machine that mandates money-motivated policies that really don't make sense.

This book includes a vaccine-by-vaccine analysis, with recommendations and individual scenarios. I also appreciate Dr. Sears' efforts using online resources to keep us up to date as information changes.

I hope that our government officials will wake up one day and quit working on behalf of big pharma. Until then, we have guardian angels like Dr. Sears to help us navigate waters that really shouldn't be this dangerous.

I love this book because it has all the information I was looking for about vaccines. The pros and cons about each vaccines. He does not give his opinion but gives enough information to make your own judgement. It has really helped me decide which vaccines were best for my son.

Great info and alternative schedule...but getting the doctors to agree with you is another story.

I am a pediatrician and I am faced with the questions posed by parents 'to vaccinate or not', more frequently than I ever thought I would. Dr Sears' book helps in presenting an alternative schedule of administering vaccines. This increases compliance amongst this set of parents. The very thorough discussion in the book also explodes the myth that 'all vaccines are bad'. The subject has been dealt very well with in the limits of the scientific knowledge that we have to this date.
It is a definite read for everybody who is on the fence about doing vaccines for their child or not, or is looking for an alternative schedule.
Rajeev Agarwal MD

I'm a board certified Pediatrician with a large private practice: Integrative Pediatrics LLC in Portland Oregon. I have all my patients buy this book. There is no better resource anywhere that addresses the issue of vaccines; what's in them, and the diseases that are covered by the vaccines. This book really does the job of bringing to our attention the issue of aluminium in vaccines. The establishment is not responding to this concern, so as parents we must educate ourselves. Dr Sears also offers some different schedules for vaccinating. I like the schedule on Pg. 223, although the rotavirus vaccine at this point needs further discussion and special consideration. THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ FOR EVERY PARENT THINKING ABOUT VACCINATING THEIR YOUNG CHILDREN. Paul Thomas MD FAAP

In my quest to answer parents' concerns and my own questions about immunizations, I have read numerous books and articles on the subject, both for and against. Dr. Sears' The Vaccine Book is a well-referenced and easily understood evaluation of the risks and benefits of the numerous vaccinations available.

As a pediatrician who believes parents should be able to make the ultimate decision regarding what is right for their individual child without unremitting pressure or disdain, I appreciated Dr. Sears' research and his well-balanced view. I highly recommend this book to any parent looking for guidance on their child's immunizations.

Just what I was looking for! It is easy to find vast amounts of anti-vaccine material, but there is very little from the pro-vaccine side besides "don't worry; vaccines are safe". This book nicely fills the gap. Dr. Sears discusses vaccine ingredients, how common and how serious each disease is, and compares the risk of a serious case of each disease with the risk of a serious reaction to the vaccine. He documents which potential side effects are proven and which are theoretical. He offers a Selective Vaccination Schedule and an Alternative Vaccination Schedule for parents who want to protect their children from certain diseases, but wish to minimize the risks and side effects. He does not tell you what to do, but presents the information (along with documentation and references) and then allows the parent to make an informed decision. My pediatrician was very open and agreeable to the schedules and was glad to have a resource for his patients who are concerned about possible risks associated with vaccines.

This was a great book. I started the research on vaccines late, my daughter have gotten 2 full rounds of shots already. As a new parent I had some concerns on this topic and although I did some research online, I was overwhelmed by the amount of information on pros and cons available online. I needed something that summarized everything, the pros and cons and let me make the decision. I thought that this is what this book did. It gave me enough info about each vaccine, what it was for, about the decease itself, how the vaccine is made, the pros and the cons, what is controversial about it etc. I feel that I have learned enough about it to make an informed decision. I think that all parents that have concerns about shots should read this book. It really has a lot of good information and it is not biased for or against vaccines.

I encourage every parent to read this book despite your stance on immunizations. Dr. Sears gives so much information about each vaccine and its components. He also gives facts about studies that have been conducted and talks about the lack of studies specifically about aluminum amounts in the immunizations. My daughter is 3 months old. I have decided to follow his Alternative Vaccination Schedule. After reading this book and other articles online, and talking with friends whose children had reactions to vaccinations, I feel that I should give my daughter vaccinations to protect her against diseases but that the combination shots are unnecessary and carry a higher risk of side-effects. I also believe that the standard Vaccination Schedule is too aggressive for such small little babies. I have Kaiser Permanente and most of the Pediatricians feel I should stick to the standard schedule, but it is my decision as a parent and I feel comfortable with my decision. Our doctors have always respected my wishes.

This was a very informative and and objective look at modern vaccines and whether or not they are necessary. A must read for those who are looking to be informed about their children's health.

This book provided both sides of the story and was helpful objective information. We plan on using the alternate vaccination schedule that Dr. Sears illustrates with a few modifications of our own.

I thought this book was excellent. Sears does a good job of giving a wide range of opinions (even though he makes it clear what his opinion is and what he thinks the best choice is). Sears definitely made me feel better about vaccinating my son as per MA state's guidelines which don't leave a lot of room for flexibility.

Vaccination is perhaps the most important decision you will have to make regarding the health of your children. If you don't give a shot your child could get very sick, if you do give a shot your child could get very sick.

With so much at stake, it is imperative that parents research the issue themselves before vaccinating.

Yet I, like most parents, did not. Why? Because as a healthcare provider myself, I blindly trusted my child's pediatrician. I didn't realize that they had been misinformed. And this is why parents must educate themselves about the vaccinations themselves and the diseases they are designed to prevent.

I would absolutely read Dr Sears' "Vaccine Book" first. This book will allow you to decide which diseases still pose a threat to your child and which do not.

Once you are sure which diseases you would like to immunize your child from, you will need to continue researching just a bit more about the vaccines themselves.

Dr. Sears does an EXCELLENT job of identifying which horrific chemicals are contained in which vaccination. (THANK YOU DR SEARS!!!) However, in my humble maternal opinion, he downplays the threat these chemicals may pose. For example,the threat of injecting things like aluminum directly into the bloodstream where they bypass usual detoxification pathways and have direct access to the brain.

The bottom line is that parents need to understand BOTH the threat of the diseases AND the risks of the vaccines. Only then can they make an educated guess. (It is a guess after all, I mean, really, who can say for sure whether your child will have a problem with the disease or the vaccine! Aside from God, of course!)

A great book for understanding the risks of vaccines is Evidence of Harm by David Kirby. If you don' t want a whole book about vaccine dangers and would rather spend your money learning about vaccine dangers as well as where other hazards lurk in your home then check out "Holler for Your Health". (Note conflict of interest: I wrote this one!) (Hey, but Rachael Ray requested a copy and it has great reviews so there is some non- biased info other than me saying it is a good choice!) Good luck with your decision. Remember, no one has a right to make it but you, and you have an obligation to your children to learn, so get reading! Remember God helps those who help themselves. Keep your kids healthy! Teresa www.holler4health.com

I love a lot of Dr Sears books and recommend them to people, especially The Baby Book. I mostly wanted this one to see his suggested alternative schedules for vaccinations, so I borrowed it from the library first to see if there was enough else in there to justify buying it. There wasn't - it was a quick interesting read, but not something to keep on my shelf for reference. I recommend borrowing a copy from the library or a friend rather than buying it.

FYI - in the end I decided to follow the standard schedule for vaccinating my babies and not one of the alternatives.

This is a very informative book and I would suggest reading this book if you have questions about vaccines.

I purchased this book for my niece and she not only said it was extremely helpful for their family in making decisions about immunizations but that their doctor had heard great things about it and definitely intended to read it. My niece was thrilled to receive this book.

very helpful book . read more than once. Deciding to vaccinate your kids isnt neccessarily a yes or no decision. I feel much more educated about my decisions after reading this book.

This is an unfortunate attempt to exploit the panic and fear regarding childhood vaccinations. The author has done no scientific studies himself and selectively references studies that are poorly done or taken out of context. He also suggests complicated vaccination schedules that have not been researched to demonstrate their efficacy or lack thereof. I suggest every physician who is struggling with parents refusing to protect their children by vaccination read this book (get a used copy) in order to counter Dr. Sears arguments. The CDC and AAP have much better information on their websites regarding vaccines, and I refer parents to those sites for information as well as handing out a comprehensive information booklet to them. This is yet another economic exploitation of the Lunatic Fringe.

This is a great book because it is neither for vaccines nor against them-it just presents as much information as possible and leads the reader to his or her own conclusion. Now I feel a bit educated on the issue when my son's pediatrician presents his "convincing" side of the story (pro- all vaccines).

The most helpful parts of the book are Dr. Sear's Selective & Alternative vaccine schedules. This informs parents of their options besides (1) getting all vaccines on the AAP's schedule, or (2) declining all vaccines.

This book compiles information that is a good beginning when trying to learn about vaccinations and whether or not they're right for you and your child. Not the difinitive guide though.

I must preface this review with the disclosure that I am personally in agreement with much of the information and views presented in the Sears' parenting library. I have been reading this book as I prepare to have my second child vaccinated. I will have my children vaccinated because we travel internationally to the developing world where diseases that are not common in the U.S. are still present, however, I am planning on a modified schedule due to information I am now aware of that contraindicates (in my opinion, based on my research) the CDC schedule. My first child, who is now four years old, was vaccinated using the schedule recommended by the CDC, which I have since come to be somewhat skeptical of. I appreciate the objectivity with with Dr. Sears presents information about the vaccination schedule. Perhaps more importantly I appreciate his objective assessment of the risks involved in vaccinating or not vaccinating for the different diseases. If you are also interested in knowing more about the pros and cons of the myriad vaccinations this is a good resource for your library. Based on additional research I have done on the subject Dr. Sear's book is a valuable resource for your library.

I appreciated Dr. Sears' balanced perspective toward vaccines as written in this book. It is thoroughly informative and really presents the various vaccine options clearly and concisely. The author's medical perspective does shine through, as he encourages various vaccinations for the good of the general populace, but it is clear that he is writing the book for individuals who are considering the good of their own children first, and I appreciate that.

I had already been set against vaccines before reading this book, but I carefully reconsidered each option in the reading of the book, and I feel that a person who doesn't know anything about vaccines could pick up this information and choose entirely for or against vaccines or land somewhere in the middle, just based on this book. For that reason and because it has made me feel much more confident in my own decisions, I would recommend this book to any parent or parent-to-be who is interested in getting facts, not propaganda. A lot of vaccines have changed their ingredients in the last ten years, and it is very helpful to have that updated information; mercury, for example, has been all but totally removed. For my own part, I feel that the levels of aluminum in the three shots that I considered are still way too high and not worth the risk when it comes to injecting them into an infant, but I like that someone else could read the book and come to a completely different conclusion.

I notice that of those people who rate this book poorly, the camp seems to be rather evenly divided between those who say Dr. Sears is too pro-vaccine and those who say he is too anti-vaccine. That seems to show that he has done a good job of presenting the case fairly.

It's a good read for parents who are concerned about the whole "Should I, Shouldn't I?" sitch with vaccines.

as a mom who opted out of vaccinations for her child, this book provided with me clear, UNbiased medical information about every vaccine the AAP recommends. though i chose the road less traveled, Dr. Sears does give good reasons for most vaccines, but the medical info provided did not happen to encourage me to shoot my kid up with monkey kidney cells, fetal cow serum and wayyyyyyyyyy too much aluminum. i recommend this book for all parents who care about the health and safety of their newborn.

The Vaccine book was so enlightening, in that there are so many things I realize that we just don't ask questions about... like what is being injected into my child's body?

I feel like this book isn't pushy in one direction or another, but will help my husband and I to make our own, informed decision about vaccination scheduling.

The Vaccine book was so enlightening, in that there are so many things I realize that we just don't ask questions about... like what is being injected into my child's body?

I feel like this book isn't pushy in one direction or another, but will help my husband and I to make our own, informed decision about vaccination scheduling.

I am a first time mom who had many questions about vaccines. This book was very informative and gave a lot of information about each vaccine so you can make the decision about giving it to your child. The book does not try and lead you in any direction.

This book was very informative and written in "real person" language. I felt it did a great job of explaining exactly what goes into the vaccines, and allowing me as a parent to form my own opinion in the end. I felt extremely prepared for my daughter's check up after reading this, and would highly recommend it to any parent.

Nice reference. Carefully (and cheerfully) written. With up-to-date information. Presents facts and research findings. Gives easy-to-follow suggestions. Especially like its comparisons between different brands of several vaccines.

Dr. Sears gives a very common sense, balanced view of vaccinations. He doesn't tell you what you should do for your child, just lays out the facts of each vaccine, points out any concerns, and then gives his opinion of the importance (or not) of the vaccine. The book includes an alternate vaccine schedule for those who want to vaccinate, but worry about overloading their child's immune system. As a mom of 2, this book let me go into my ped's office informed enough to ask questions and make decisions I felt good about.

Dr. Sears has done it again. This book is informative and medically factual, yet in plain English at the same time. Like most parents, I was on the fence about what to do with my child's upcoming vaccines. Each vaccine is researched, discussed, and pro's/con's for giving the vaccine are addressed. The author lets you make up your mind about how you feel about the information once it is done, with sound guidance. Better yet, he has put together an alternative vaccine schedule that you can copy and bring to your doctor. I used this as a starting point with my MD, tweaked it a little to meet my needs, and now I'm as happy as can be. I delayed the less common illness vaccines until the end, omitted a few I refuse to give, and spread the rest of them out so my daughter only gets one shot a visit, thus decreasing her load of toxic aluminum. I also started her vaccine schedule at month 3 instead of month 2, but I felt comfortable doing so because my daughter didn't go out in public until month 3. Sorry if this is too much information. I guess I'm simply saying I wouldn't have felt comfortable making these decisions had I not been properly informed by this book. It you are at all on the fence, and don't know what to do, you must read this book!

Dr. Sears gives a very common sense, balanced view of vaccinations. He doesn't tell you what you should do for your child, just lays out the facts of each vaccine, points out any concerns, and then gives his opinion of the importance (or not) of the vaccine. The book includes an alternate vaccine schedule for those who want to vaccinate, but worry about overloading their child's immune system. As a mom of 2, this book let me go into my ped's office informed enough to ask questions and make decisions I felt good about.

Dr. Sears has done it again. This book is informative and medically factual, yet in plain English at the same time. Like most parents, I was on the fence about what to do with my child's upcoming vaccines. Each vaccine is researched, discussed, and pro's/con's for giving the vaccine are addressed. The author lets you make up your mind about how you feel about the information once it is done, with sound guidance. Better yet, he has put together an alternative vaccine schedule that you can copy and bring to your doctor. I used this as a starting point with my MD, tweaked it a little to meet my needs, and now I'm as happy as can be. I delayed the less common illness vaccines until the end, omitted a few I refuse to give, and spread the rest of them out so my daughter only gets one shot a visit, thus decreasing her load of toxic aluminum. I also started her vaccine schedule at month 3 instead of month 2, but I felt comfortable doing so because my daughter didn't go out in public until month 3. Sorry if this is too much information. I guess I'm simply saying I wouldn't have felt comfortable making these decisions had I not been properly informed by this book. It you are at all on the fence, and don't know what to do, you must read this book!

I was at a standstill in making the big vaccine decision for my baby. After reading this book, I feel completely educated about the diseases and the vaccines and I feel very comfortable with the decisions that I have made.

All parents should read this book before they allow their babies to be vaccinated. It's your duty as a parent to be informed about what is being injected into your babies body. Ask questions and be involved.

FINALLY some unbiased information on vaccination!!!!
This is a MUST HAVE for every parent in order to make an educated decision on the vaccination of your children. If you are contemplating no-vaccination, delayed vaccination schedule, selective vaccination schedule or the regular full vaccination schedule, you must read this book to make your decision in good conscience with all the facts. This is a very controversial subject as many people do not want the responsibility of choice and would prefer to blindly the doctor's advise. The problem is... the doctor typically blindly follows the FDA's advise and the FDA has not fully diligently tested everything that gets injected in our little ones!

Good luck to you and your family!

So if you're like me with an autistic child, no doubt you have heard the hype. Vaccines. Are they the culprit? Some parents swear yes, some swear no. I have heard both sides and they both have very valid arguments. Both biased to their own cause. Then came my baby daughter. Do I vaccinate her or not? Diseases are coming back due to parents not vaccinating. But what about all the press? Is there a safer way to vaccinate? There is! Dr. Sears alternative schedule is clear, easy to understand and my daughter's pediatrician not only had no problem with it, but wanted to get the book for herself. It's a great reference guide too.

I'd just like to echo what other reviewers have said. This book is the real deal. I originally got a book on immunization called "Vaccines: What Ever Parent Should Know" because Dr. Sears book was sold out and checked out of every library branch in the greater Boston area. What a joke that other book was - it presented none of the concerns that Dr. Sears shares. And after a bit of research, I found that the author of that book (Dr. Paul Offit) is a vaccine inventor and on the board of advisors for Merck. You'd think in the spirit of fair disclosure it would have said that on his author's profile. But I digest... :)

Dr. Sears' book is comprehensive and very balanced. He presents parents with the pros and cons for each drug as well as his own personal recommendations. His Alternative and Selective vacination schedules are worth the price of the book alone. Just be prepared - we requested to follow his selective vaccination schedule and were told that we could stay with our pediatric group practice if we did that. Its too bad - we really liked our pediatrician in every other respect. Just starting with a new practice that is more flexible and gives us a greater degree of choice in how we care for our child.

Couldn't recommend this book more highly. I'm buying a second copy for the pediatrician we are leaving. Hopefully, she'll read it and understand our decision a bit better.

Thorough without the bias of many authors that are writing on the subject. Helpful to parents on a difficult subject.

Despite having my two older son's vaccinated per the AAP's schedule, when my newest bundle joined the flock, with all the "vaccination speculation" around I wanted to educate myself a bit more with the most unbiased and uninflamatory information I could find. I think this book is the most fair and balanced look at vaccines that I have found. Each vaccine has its own chapter where Dr. Bob talks about the risks of the disease, how common the disease is, the ingredients that make up each vaccine (and how the ingredients vary according to manufacturer), the risk of side effects with each vaccine, the risks of contracting the disease during travel... I was pleasantly suprised to see that he gave credence to concerns over some ingredients (mainly aluminum, but also human and animal tissue), while still supporting the use of (most)vaccines. He provides a couple different alternative dosing schedules (which include waiting 6 months to a year to start or spacing them out giving just two shots at a time). In some ways I wish I hadn't read the book (I had no idea what kind of creepy things were in some of those shots), but I am glad I am more educated on the matter and can make a better informed decision over what is best for my child. (And, if you are curious, this book gave me more confidence in my decision to start vaccinations at 6 months and use a slower dosing schedule.) I just was really suprised at how informative and non-judgemental this book seemed. People get so passionate about one way or the other it's hard to find a single place that can respect both sides of the argument and I feel Dr. Bob did a good job of doing just that.