This section on vaccines has two sorts of information for you:

• Standard vaccine schedules and information on individual vaccines, mostly from the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other reliable sources that we trust.
• Information for vaccine skeptics

For you skeptics, we would like you to understand our dilemma. As professionals, we are absolutely convinced of the value of vaccines, and we believe that most of the doubts about side effects have no validity. All of our clinicians are unanimous in this opinion. Our older, more experienced pediatricians know from personal experience how much healthier our children are, now that they can be protected from serious diseases that we have seen our own patients experience in decades past. All of our clinicians have given all the recommended vaccines to their own children, without exception. But at the same time, we see the same anti-vaccine publicity that you do, and we can understand how you can be worried and confused.

As your personal medical professionals, we want to give you our best advice. But your children are yours, not ours, and we respect your ultimate responsibility. So, we solve our dilemma not by compelling you to follow our advice (we can’t, anyway), and not by expelling you from the practice if you don’t accept our advice. Instead, we give you our best advice, we work with your concerns, and ultimately we follow your instructions.

Our advice is contained in the links we have here for you. If you are skeptical, or would like more information, please read these items, and then talk to us at your visits.

General Vaccine Information and Resources:

CDC - Immunizations Website – Information for Healthcare Professionals and Patients

This is the CDC's main web page for vaccine information, for both healthcare professionals and patients, with links and current information related to all aspects of immunizations.

CDC - Immunizations - Information for Parents

This is the CDC's web page for vaccine information for parents, a useful resource for all types of information about childhood vaccines

CDC Parents Guide to Immunizations

This is a 68-page booklet from the CDC on immunizations for children. It can be ordered or printed directly from this website.

American Academy of Pediatrics Immunization Website

This is the AAP’s comprehensive vaccine resource website, for parents and healthcare professionals.

American Academy of Pediatrics - Immunization Information for Families

This is the AAP’s vaccine resource page for parents, including information on the safety and importance of vaccines, as well as misconceptions, FAQs, and a wealth of other information.

Immunization Schedules

This is the CDC webpage on vaccine schedules, a useful resource for parents and clinicians.

Vaccine Information Statements (VIS)

These are the patient handouts developed by the CDC which explain each of the vaccines and the diseases they prevent.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Vaccine Education Center

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is a respected source of information on vaccines, and has developed this comprehensive vaccine resource website.

Immunization Action Coalition: Vaccine Information for Heathcare Professionals

This is a comprehensive vaccine information site, designed for healthcare professionals but useful also for patients and parents.

Vaccinate Your Baby

A campaign launched by “Every Child by Two”, an organization devoted to raising awareness of the critical need for timely immunizations.

Information for skeptical parents:

The Problem With Dr. Bob's Alternative Vaccine Schedule

This article reviews Dr. Sear’s book on alternative vaccine schedules, discussing the flaws in his logic, as well as misinformation contained in his book that may lead parents to make the wrong decisions for their children.

Vaccines and Autism: A Tale of Shifting Hypotheses

This 2008 article by Gerber and Offit addresses parental concerns about vaccines, examining and discussing hypotheses about MMR vaccine, thimerosal, and multiple-vaccine administration.

Facts for Parents about Vaccine Safety

This letter from the AAP addresses vaccine safety, autism, and other concerns.

Mercury, Thimerosal and Vaccines

This is the CDCs statement and information page, explaining the safety of vaccines and addressing these concerns.

Here Be Dragons: An Introduction to Critical Thinking

Too Many Vaccines? What You Should Know
Information from the Vaccine Education Center at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia

Vaccines and Autism
From the Vaccine Education Center at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia

Flu Vaccine Myths and Realities
Assistant Surgeon General Dr. Anne Schuchat dispels myths about the H1N1 flu virus