Editorial Review
• A balanced, comprehensive guide to routine childhood vaccinations that offers parents the information they need to make the right choices for their child.
• Fairly examines the pros and cons of this highly charged issue.
Deciding whether or when to vaccinate a child is one of the most important--and most difficult--health-care decisions a parent will ever make. The recent increase in the number of vaccinations recommended and the concurrent controversies about whether vaccinations are safe or even effective have left many parents confused and concerned.
Midwife, herbalist, and mother of four, Aviva Jill Romm sifts through the spate of current research on vaccine safety and efficacy and offers a sensible, balanced discussion of the pros and cons of each routine childhood vaccination. She presents the full spectrum of options available to parents: full vaccination on a standardized or individualized schedule, selective vaccination, or no vaccinations at all. Negotiating daycare and school requirements, dealing with other parents, and traveling with an unvaccinated child are covered in detail. The book also suggests ways to strengthen children's immune systems and maintain optimal health and offers herbal and homeopathic remedies for childhood ailments. Emphasizing that no single approach is appropriate for every child, the author guides parents as they make the choices that are right for their child.
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Customer Reviews
Good Research, Poor Conclusion 
2008-05-26
Aviva has loads of well documented studies that say one thing, vaccines do not work.
If you do any bit of thorough research on vaccines, you will see that they do more harm than good. Aviva's book contains that research, so what's the problem?
Her conclusion.
After heaps of evidence about how harmful, or infective vaccines are, Aviva does not speak out against them, but rather says something like its the parents choice, or make an informed choice. Her suggestion or say neutral perspective on vaccines goes against all the research in the book, but good research and easy to read.
Ramiel Nagel author of Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition
"The Vaccine Book" is much better 
2008-03-15
I loved the "Natural Pregnancy Book" by Aviva Jill Romm, and I was excited to see that she had a book on vaccines. However, it's not a very good book. It was clear to me that she was asked to write about something that she didn't really know that well. I found the book kind of confusing, sometimes out of date (a lot of discussion on vaccines that are no longer used), and generally lacking in the details/statistics I wanted. Try "The Vaccine Book" by Robert Sears, instead. It's a much better choice. "The Vaccine Book" offers the details and actual statistics that this book lacks. The Sears book also offers a nice discussion on the use of animal tissue in making vaccines and a nice discussion on the concerns about aluminum toxicity.
Not what I expected... 2008-03-03
What your doctor may NOT tell you --- is a better book. I learned very little from this book; and I did not care for the way it was organized. Not a compelling read.
A Little Outdated 
2007-12-07
This book was excellent for getting me started on the path towards making some confident decisions for my son regarding vaccinations. I give it four stars because it is rather outdated, a lot of talk is given about the old DTP shot which is not used any longer. Also, I was hoping for some critique of many of the "new" additions to the CDC schedule such as the rotovirus,Pc, and HPV vaccines. Understandable though considering these are so recent. Kuddos to Aviva for producing a book that is for the most part a non-biased analysis. Buy this with the new Sears book and you will be set!
Not as good as I'd hoped 
2007-11-28
I purchased both this book and *Vaccine Guide* by Randall Neustaedter at the same time. I read this one first, and when I read Neustaedter's right afterwards, I thought Romm's was very derivative of his (published originally in 1996). They both follow similar organizational forms, and use a lot of the same research. The main difference between the two is that Romm gives herbal remedies/healthcare ideas, and Neustaedter gives homeopathic ones.
When it comes to the way the books are written, and the information offered, Neustaedter's is much better. I own another book by Romm, and don't find her to be a particularly good writer. This one is by turns too medical/scientific (or trying to be, at least), and too informal...one minute she'll sound like she's talking to another scientist, and the next, to her best friend.
I think she does try to be impartial, but I had the impression that she was "trying," not giving her own real opinion a lot of the time.
If you're considering buying this one, I'd go with Neustaedter's instead, unless you want this one for the herbal remedies it contains. That part of the book is helpful!
Excelent Reference 2007-11-25
• A balanced, comprehensive guide to routine childhood vaccinations that offers parents the information they need to make the right choices for their child.
• Fairly examines the pros and cons of this highly charged issue.
Deciding whether or when to vaccinate a child is one of the most important--and most difficult--health-care decisions a parent will ever make. The recent increase in the number of vaccinations recommended and the concurrent controversies about whether vaccinations are safe or even effective have left many parents confused and concerned.
Midwife, herbalist, and mother of four, Aviva Jill Romm sifts through the spate of current research on vaccine safety and efficacy and offers a sensible, balanced discussion of the pros and cons of each routine childhood vaccination. She presents the full spectrum of options available to parents: full vaccination on a standardized or individualized schedule, selective vaccination, or no vaccinations at all. Negotiating daycare and school requirements, dealing with other parents, and traveling with an unvaccinated child are covered in detail. The book also suggests ways to strengthen children's immune systems and maintain optimal health and offers herbal and homeopathic remedies for childhood ailments. Emphasizing that no single approach is appropriate for every child, the author guides parents as they make the choices that are right for their child.
The title says it all 2007-10-29
I've loved Aviva Jill Romm's books, and this one met my expectations. I found it very informative and believe it's a great resource for those of us seeking a comprehensive view of childhood vaccinations.
Well-researched and informative 2007-10-09
I am a former biochemistry researcher who researched experimental drugs that were submitted for FDA approval. I am also a new parent who recently had to face the decision of whether or not to vaccinate.
The FDA is made up of approvals boards that have had to retract or revise their decisions on many occasions. Science is still in its infancy in some regards, and when it comes to testing long-term effects of vaccines on infants and children, it is frankly primitive. As many readers know, the FDA has also been sued numerous times for conflicts of interest. Additionally, as a scientist, the possibility of diseases jumping the species barrier through vaccines via the DNA fragments of monkeys or aborted fetuses on which the vaccines were grown is a very real concern.
I am simply not convinced that vaccines have been sufficiently studied, each batch properly screened for the hundreds of known diseases that can be inadvertently transferred, and that all conflict of interests have been eliminated on the part of the FDA.
Of course, I realize the difficulties that such a task would pose. But that does not stop me from facing the fact that vaccines are still experimental substances with known adverse reactions, whose widespread use is heavily influenced by powerful pharmaceutical companies. These companies have a vested interest in making sure each and every newborn gets a Hepatitis B shot (regardless of whether a risk exists and regardless of the fact that the shot is ineffective within a matter of years) and that all children are given waves of booster shots, regardless of the concentration of the vaccine in the child's system at the time. Needless to say, my husband and I chose not to vaccinate.
I would encourage every parent to read this book and to understand their options. Research the history of conflicts of interest and errors on the part of the FDA. And above all, do not be afraid of asking questions and making a decision that others may find controversial. It is a shame that the Hippocratic Oath's edict to "First do no harm" cannot be faithfully applied to the subject of vaccines...
Very informative! 2007-09-05
I highly recommend this book to all new & potential parents. It is highly informative without swaying too much to either side of "to vaccinate or not". It gives the facts of each side and leaves the decision up to the parents.
Good book to turn to for vaccine advice! 2007-06-07
This book offered balanced pros and cons on vaccines, which is great when everything from doctors' offices is solely pro vaccine. I have read several books on vaccines is this was the most helpful.
Author: Now that the HiB vaccine has been around a little longer, can we have a Part II with more information on that?
