The Vaccine Answer Book: 200 Essential Answers to Help You Make the Right Decisions for Your Child

322 Pages·2009·2.53 MB·English

by  Jamie Loehr M.D.

TM

JAMIE LOEHR, MD, fAAfp
Copyright © 2009 by Jamie Loehr
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Loehr, Jamie.
The vaccine answer book : 200 essential answers to help you make the right
decisions for your child / by Jamie Loehr.
p. cm.
1. Vaccination of children—Popular works. 2. Immunization of children—
Popular works. I. Title.
RJ240.L64 2009
614.4’7083—dc22
2009012845
Printed and bound in the United States of America.
VP 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Acknowledgments ................................................ix
Introduction .........................................................xi
Part I: Understanding Vaccines
Chapter 1: Vaccine Basics ..................................3
Chapter 2: Principles of Vaccines .....................25
Chapter 3: A Brief History of Vaccines ............39
Chapter 4: Vaccination Logistics ......................55
Chapter 5: How to Evaluate Vaccines .............85
Part II: Vaccines in the First Year of Life
Chapter 6: The Pneumococcal Vaccine for
Young Children ............................107
Chapter 7: The Haemophilus Influenzae
Type B (HiB) Vaccine ..................113
Chapter 8: The Diphtheria, Tetanus, and
Acellular Pertussis (DTaP)
Vaccine ..........................................119
Chapter 9: The Rotavirus Vaccine .................133
Chapter 10: The Influenza Vaccine .................139
Chapter 11: The Hepatitis B Vaccine ..............149
Chapter 12: The Polio Vaccine ........................159
Part III: Other Childhood Vaccines
Chapter 13: The Measles, Mumps, and
Rubella (MMR) Vaccine ..............167
Chapter 14: The Chickenpox Vaccine .............179
Chapter 15: The Hepatitis A Vaccine ..............189
Chapter 16: The Tetanus, Diphtheria, and
Acellular Pertussis (Tdap and Td)
Vaccines .......................................197
Chapter 17: The Meningococcal Vaccine .........199
Chapter 18: The Human Papillomavirus
(HPV) Vaccine .............................207
Chapter 19: The Pneumococcal Vaccine for
Older Children and Adults...........217
Part IV: Vaccines throughout Life
Chapter 20: The Shingles Vaccine ....................221
Chapter 21: Other Adult Vaccines ...................227
Chapter 22: Travel Vaccines and Other
Vaccines .......................................235
Part V: Vaccine Controversies and Myths
Chapter 23: Vaccines and Autism ....................255
Chapter 24: Other Vaccine Questions and
Concerns ......................................269
Resources ..........................................................285
About the Author .............................................291
Dedication
For my wonderful family:
Devon, Kieran, Shannon, and Mariah.
And most of all, Caitlin.
J.L.

Acknowledgments
My thanks go to my editor Sara Appino, and to my
agent Grace Freedson, both of whom were instru-
mental in the creation of this book. Thanks to Jen
Meyers, the coauthor of my first two books, and also
to Leslie Daniels for getting me started on the path
to writing.
Thanks to my parents Joan and Ray Loehr and my
seven brothers and sisters for their love, advice, and sup-
port over the years. Thanks also to all the parents and
children I have known in and out of my practice who
have helped shape my knowledge and experiences.
To my family goes my biggest, most heartfelt
appreciation. Their limitless understanding, humor,
and love during the writing of this book made it all
possible. Thanks to Devon, Kieran, Shannon, and
Mariah, but most of all to Caitlin. I love you!