Complete Idiot's Guide to Vaccinations Review

For many new parents, watching a needle approach their child’s thigh to administer the first of a lengthy series of vaccinations is heart wrenching. Yet when vaccines work they bring relief; parents and medical personnel no longer have to concern themselves with scourges of the past like polio, smallpox, rubella, and more. But there have also been concerns about vaccines. Some people have asked whether vaccine ingredients might have contributed to the recent increase in the rates of autism, for example.

Vaccinations don’t stop in childhood, though. Adolescents and adults also need periodic vaccinations and booster shots, but they are often uncertain about what vaccinations they need and when they need them. In The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Vaccinations, readers have all the information they need to understand each vaccine in the childhood series, plus every other commonly administered vaccine for adolescents and adults.

This book explains:

•How different types of vaccines work
•Vaccinations needed, or may be needed throughout life from infant to senior
•Recommended vaccinations for special populations, such as travelers or those with certain illnesses or injuries
•How long vaccinations and “booster” shots provide immunity to disease
•Effectiveness and potential side effects of each vaccine
•Controversies that have arisen about vaccines
•Risks involved in choosing not to vaccinate

About the Authors:

Michael Joseph Smith, M.D., M.S.C.E., (Louisville, KY) is a board-certified pediatrician who is currently an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Kentucky. He has done original research on media coverage of the MMR-autism controversy and its relationship to MMR immunization rates in the United States and parental vaccine concerns in Kentucky, as well as written textbook chapters on rubella, diphtheria, influenza vaccination of health-care workers, and vaccine safety. Smith is a graduate of Princeton University, earned his M.D. at Columbia University, served his residency in pediatrics at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, RI, received a fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and earned an M.S. in Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Laurie Bouck (San Francisco, CA) is an award-winning writer focusing on health and medicine. Her work includes pediatric health articles published in Parenting Magazine and Pregnancy, CME-eligible medical conference coverage for Medscape Medical News, and articles written for Medicaid providers and patients. Bouck also writes about medicine and health policy on her blog, MedFly. Before she began freelancing, she wrote patient education materials for the medical publisher StayWell/Krames on topics ranging from car seat safety to brain aneurysm, where her work received several National Health Information Awards. She received an MA (English Literature) and MFA (Creative Writing) from Indiana University/Bloomington, and a BA from Smith College.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Vaccinations
ISBN: 9781592579303, December 2009, $14.95
Authors: Michael Joseph Smith, M.D., M.S.C.E., (Louisville, KY) and Laurie Bouck (San Francisco, CA)

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I was happy to review the book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vaccinations! I am trying to stock up on any new baby related literature for my brother and sis-in-law as they are expecting their first kids... twins!

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vaccinations covers a wide variety of topics surrounding vaccination. Including a discussion of which vaccines have been questioned-whether for medical, religious, or social reasons. The book explores the risks involved in vaccinating and in not vaccinating. You'll also find easy-to-follow advice on which immunizations seniors should take-and how long people are actually protected by 'booster' shots.

I found The Complete Idiot's Guide to vaccinations to be an informative read! Covering practically every question and discussion topic involved when vaccinating. And it includes the hot button topics... such as the controversy between vaccinations and autism and the HPV virus. 

Personally I had my daughter vaccinated and will continue to do so because it has been successful for us, but also because I was vaccinated and it just seemed appropriate. My daughter has never had any sort of irregular reaction. Though some might argue that vaccinations could be a possible cause of my daughters speech delay and sensory disorder. I guess I can't be certain of that, but for now there is no concrete connection between autism and vaccinations. That being said, I feel the need to protect my child from preventable disease outweighs the risks of vaccination. 

Either way, I respect all parents decision to do what is best for their family, whether that is to vaccinate or not vaccinate.

A very good friend of mine does not vaccinate her 1 yr old son. And though that may not have been my decision, I respect hers. She observed a negative reaction in him after his first schedule of vaccinations after he was born. He was lethargic and did not act like himself for a number of days. So she has not vaccinated him since. Thus, I truly believe vaccinating or deciding not to do so is the parents decision.

The Bottom Line: Pick up a copy of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vaccinations, and you'll be armed with all the knowledge you need to make the vaccination decision for your family!

*I received a copy of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vaccinations to facilitate my candid and honest review. No other form of compensation was or will be given. All personal views are my own!