VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 34: Should I spread my child's shots out?

If you’re like a lot of moms, you might feel like there are too many shots. Because I also feel that way, my goal is to reduce the number of shots necessary as far down as possible. Zero would be ideal. You’ve probably also seen a picture like

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 33: Should a sick child get shots?

Many parents want to know “If my child is sick and they’re supposed to get some shots. Should we still go?” If it were my child, absolutely no way. Vaccines are not supposed to be administered to a child unless they’re in perfect—or as close to perfect—

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 32: Should I sign a vaccine refusal form?

You may have heard stories of parents who declined certain vaccines and were asked by their doctors to sign “Vaccine refusal” forms. You probably want to know if YOU should sign one of these forms. These documents are completely meaningless, have no legal ramifications (currently) and serve no purpose other

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 31: Pharma companies can't be sued?

In the 1980s, an increasing number of SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, deaths began to be associated with vaccines which had been administered just days, sometimes hours, earlier. While scientists and doctors have never officially declared a cause for babies that die suddenly without any apparent reason, many parents

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 30: How can I find a flexible doctor regarding vaccines?

If you are thinking of delaying, skipping or altering the administration of certain vaccines to your child, you will probably need to find a doctor who is willing to work with you. Because increasing numbers of mothers are beginning to push back against so many vaccines for their children, a

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 29: Will my doctor "fire" me if I delay/skip certain vaccines?

Many mothers ask, “Will my doctor fire me if I skip or delay certain shots?” When they say being fired, they mean, will they be asked to leave the doctor’s practice. Some doctors WILL ask you to leave their practice if you deviate from their schedule the tiniest bit.

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 28: Vaccine safety testing

With any product, particularly medical products, there can be danger. Within a free and open society, there are two release valves which work in your interest to protect you from harm: safety testing and lawsuits. Reasonable government regulations should require that the product be properly safety tested before being released

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 27: Natural immunity—better than vaccines?

Although many of the vaccines on the childhood schedule could easily be considered unnecessary because the infection no longer poses a threat, many people like me might choose to skip some of them for another reason: vaccines screw up your immune system. This may come as a surprise to you,

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 26: The disease you should fear most

Ask yourself something: What’s the disease you fear most for your child? Without going on the internet and doing a search, what springs to mind? Think of the one disease you dread your child getting. Most people will say polio. Others may say whooping cough. Think about this for

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 25: The Hepatitis A Vaccine

Hepatitis A is an extremely rare viral infection that can negatively affect your liver function. When someone does get it, it’s usually through some contaminated food. You may recall an occasional news story about a restaurant temporarily shutting down for a few days as they sterilize the whole place?

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 24: The Chickenpox Vaccine

Let’s talk about the chicken pox vaccine, otherwise known as the Varicella vaccine. At your 1-year checkup, they will suggest your child receive this shot. The Varicella zoster virus causes chicken pox, a very mild infection not known for creating any problems other than a bunch of little red

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 23: The Rubella Vaccine

Another vaccine you child will be recommended at their 1-year checkup is for rubella. Rubella is the R in the MMR vaccine. Measles, mumps and Rubella. Rubella is also called German measles sometimes, because it looks so similar to regular old measles. It is another mild infection and often doesn’

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 22: The Mumps Vaccine

Mumps is the other M in the MMR vaccine, another vaccine your child will be offered at their 1-year check up. I’ll go ahead and say that I’m not a big fan of the MMR vaccine because of it’s association with neurological side-effects. I believe this is

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 21: The Measles Vaccine

At your baby’s 12-month well-child visit, in addition to many of the other vaccines they may have already given your baby 3 doses of, they will have a few new ones to add—measles, mumps, rubella, and Hep A. I want to talk about measles for now. Measles is

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 20: The truth about well-child visits

The 9-month checkup is very similar to previous checkups. Measurements, reflex tests, and a chance to ask your doctor questions about any concerns you have. By now, you will have realized the reason these visits exist are to administer shots, and not much more. Depending on how your previous well-child

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 19: The Flu Vaccine

At your baby’s 6-month well-child visit, your doctor is likely to recommend a new vaccine, if they haven’t already been offered it—the flu shot. The flu shot is probably one of the most commonly mentioned—and commonly skipped—vaccines in the United States, if not other countries.

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 18: Why the same vaccines again at 4 months?

Once your baby has reached their 4-month mark, doctors recommend you head into their office for another appointment. Again they’ll measure your baby’s length, weight and head circumference. They may check for some basic reflexes, but the real reason you are there is for more shots—basically a

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 17: Vaccine Schedules

I want to talk to you about the vaccine schedule your doctor’s office is going to recommend your child adhere to. You may think the vaccine schedule is a universally accepted set of shots children all around the world receive, if they’re able, but the truth is, this

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 16: The Rotavirus Vaccine

The final and 7th or 8th vaccine your child will be recommended at their 2-month checkup is the Rotavirus vaccine. Rotavirus is a common infection. It starts off like any common stomach bug, but can cause severe cases of diarrhea. In first world countries, it is not considered a dangerous

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 15: The Pneumococcal Vaccine

The Pneumococcal vaccine will be recommended for your child at their 2-month checkup. It is designed to protect against a particular bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae, sometimes called Pneumococcus, or PC for short. It’s a very common bacteria, especially because there are many different strains of it floating around at

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 14: The Hib Vaccine

Another vaccine that will be offered for your child at their 2-month checkup is the H.I.B. or Hib shot. HIB is an abbreviation of Haemophilus Influenza Type B. There are actually at least six different types of this bacteria, maybe more, but type B seems to be the

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 13: The Polio Vaccine

At this checkup, your child will be offered an injected polio vaccine. There’s another form of the vaccine which is given by mouth, sometimes on a sugar cube if you’ve ever seen the old pictures, but most likely your child will be offered the first of several injected

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 12: Are vaccine ingredients really that bad?

As people begin to research vaccines, most people start by focusing on the ingredients. If you didn’t already watch the video called “The One Chart” that showed how all the diseases began to decline around the same time—whether they had a vaccine for them or not—make sure

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 11: The one chart that changed everything for me

As I began to study vaccines, the single biggest surprise came in the form of a chart I saw in a book that had researched the history of vaccines. I’ll never forget the confusion this chart created in my head. All my life I’d heard vaccines saved humanity

VAXBaby: The Curious Parent's Guide to Pediatric Vaccines.

VAXBaby 10: The Diphtheria Vaccine

Diphtheria is another vaccine your infant will likely be recommended at 2-months old. It’s the D in the TDaP vaccine. Diphtheria is a bacterial infection that causes a white, leathery coating on your tongue and throat, and like a lot of bacterial infections, it’s not the bacteria itself