Please welcome Dr. Bob Sears back to Metropolitan Mama.
Sears is a nationally known pediatrician, father of three, and author of The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child. Sears has graciously offered to extend his expertise about vaccines through a bimonthly column where YOU ask the questions…and he answers them. See the bottom of this post for details about how you can submit a question.
Today’s question was submitted by…me! I just had a baby and we’re now trying to make the best decision for our daughter regarding vaccinations.
QUESTION: “I bought your book and love it! But I’m concerned because it was written in 2007 and I’m sure there have been a lot of changes since then. What do I need to know now that it’s 2009? What specific new “updates” should I keep in mind as I make vaccination decisions for my child?“
ANSWER FROM DR. SEARS: “Very little has changed since 2007 that isn’t discussed or predicted in the book. Here are the only two issues that have come up that are worth mentioning:
- The separate MMR vaccine components are no longer being made. Parents can only now get it as the full MMR. My blog provides details on this dilemma: Separate Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccines No Longer Available? What Can Parents Do? {January 2009}.
- There is a HIB vaccine shortage until the end of 2009 because one manufacturer had to stop making their brand (PedVaxHIB) for several months. Until this supply is back up again, kids aren’t supposed to get the toddler booster dose of HIB.
Those are the only two changes in vaccines that aren’t part of the book.”
For more information, see The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child or visit www.TheVaccineBook.com.
If you have a question about vaccines for Dr. Sears, send an e-mail with “Ask Dr. Sears” in the subject line to stephanie@metropolitanmama.net.
BTW…I emailed you from my blog email account and I hope it went through! : ) Sometimes I have problems….if not….I’ll check back in a couple of days and send it from my other email! I answered your question regarding Rotavirus vaccine….
So now I don’t know what to do about the MMR….when I talked to Dr. Bob last we agreed to wait….hmmmm…I want to put him in preschool in the next few months but he suggested that he get immunized at that point….I’ll have to talk to him again….thanks for the updates!
Thanks for the great interview question Stephanie. I value what Dr. Sear has to offer and reading the new info on the MMR helped me out.
I have this book too and have found it super helpful.
I really wonder why the HIB manufacturer had to stop making it? This also makes me wonder if the timetables for vaccines set up by the American Academy of Pediatrics should really be all that strict, because now that there’s a shortage, the sky isn’t falling because the booster has to be delayed.
I wish I had known about this book a few months ago. Just had my 1 year old get her shots, all four at the same time and it was so awful. She is my third child and it has only gotten more difficult to go through with these. I think to myself, are these going to harm my child more than help her? It seems like so much at once could have the potential to really overwhelm a vulnerable little body. I have heard so many conflicting things regarding vaccines that it will be interesting to get more info from Dr. Sears’ book.
I’m glad I’m seeing this now. We’re going in tomorrow for Alexa’s 12mo appt and she’ll be getting a shot although I’m not sure which since we sort of left off of our plan at 10 mo b/c she was sick and I never got around to picking back up. Thankfully our dr chooses to delay shots on her own and only does one at a time so I’m going ot see what she says.