Charlotte Moser & Paul Offit 
Vaccines and Your Child [PDF ebook] 
Separating Fact from Fiction

Questions Parents Have About Vaccines
General
What are vaccines?
Why do we still need vaccines?
How do vaccines work?
How are vaccines made?
What steps do pharmaceutical companies go through to make vaccines?
Who recommends vaccines?
How do we know vaccines work?
Are vaccine-preventable diseases really that bad?
Isn’t it better to be naturally infected than immunized?
Are vaccines given on a one-size-fits-all schedule?
Is there any harm in using an alternative schedule?
Why can’t vaccines be combined to lessen the number of shots?
Why aren’t more vaccines given by mouth?
Can I avoid vaccines by living a healthy lifestyle?
Why should I trust a system that makes money for drug companies?
Should vaccines be mandated?
Is it my social responsibility to get vaccines?
Are vaccines safe?
How do I know if a problem is caused by vaccines?
What systems are in place to ensure that vaccines are safe?
How do we know that different vaccines can be given at the same time?
Do too many vaccines overwhelm the immune system?
Do too many vaccines weaken the immune system?
Do too many vaccines cause chronic diseases?
Do vaccines cause autism?
Do vaccines cause allergies and asthma?
Do vaccines cause cancer?
Do vaccines cause diabetes?
Do vaccines cause mad cow disease?
Do vaccines cause multiple sclerosis?
Do vaccines cause Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)?
Are there 'hot lots’ of vaccines?
Is the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) a good way to tell whether a vaccine is harmful?
Are package inserts useful?
How do I sort out good from bad information about vaccines?
Ingredients
Do vaccines contain products to which children could be allergic?
Do vaccines contain harmful preservatives like mercury?
Do vaccines contain harmful adjuvants like aluminum?
Do vaccines contain harmful chemicals like formaldehyde?
Do vaccines contain ether or antifreeze?
Are vaccines made using aborted fetal cells?
Do vaccines contain products from animals?
Practical Considerations
How do I deal with my child’s fear of shots?
What can I do to make the vaccine visit less stressful?
Who shouldn’t get vaccines?
Can I vaccinate my child if he is ill?
Can I vaccinate my premature baby?
Can I vaccinate my child if he’s taking steroids?
Can I receive a vaccine if I’m pregnant?
Can I vaccinate my child if I’m breastfeeding?
What if my child inadvertently gets an extra dose of vaccine?
What if my child inadvertently misses a dose of vaccine?
Can I vaccinate my child if someone in the home is immune compromised?
Do vaccines given in countries from which children are adopted still count?
Individual Vaccines
Vaccines in the First Year of Life
Hepatitis B
Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis
Pneumococcus
Rotavirus
Haemophilus influenzae type b
Polio
Influenza
Vaccines in the Second Year of Life
Measles, Mumps, and Rubella
Chickenpox
Hepatitis A
Vaccines for Adolescents and Teens
Meningococcus
Human Papillomavirus
The Vaccine Schedule
Vaccine Schedule and Combination Vaccines
Why This Schedule?
Changes to the Schedule
Catch-up Schedule
Appendices
Vaccine Records
A Note About Registries
Selected Reading
Index

Paul Offit is Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He holds a BS in Psychology from Tufts University (1973) and an MD from University of Maryland School of Medicine (1977). He is the author of Autism’s False Prophets (CUP 2008) and, most recently, Pandora’s Lab (Nat Geo 2017).