What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations

by Stephanie Cave (reviewed by Speak the Controversy)

Overview/General Premise
The book represents the author’s own intent to explore the pros and cons of vaccination. It is divided into three sections discussing (1) the background and basic information about vaccines as well as medical conditions associated with them, (2) the benefits and risks of individual vaccines and the diseases they are designed to prevent, and (3) tools for parents in making an informed decision about vaccines. As the author, Stephanie Cave, concludes in the introduction to this book, “Vaccines have accomplished more than we ever dreamed they would. But we must not get so caught up in the dream that we refuse to wake up to certain realities about those vaccines when it comes to safety and effectiveness. All children deserve a healthy, safe childhood, and parents should be allowed to make informed decisions about their children’s vaccine needs.” (p.xx)

Bias
Stephanie Cave is in the private practice of family medicine. Together with her clinic partner they care for over 700 children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This book is pro-vaccination in that Dr. Cave does not suggest that children should not be vaccinated, but the book is also anti-vaccination in that it questions the current immunization schedule, the administration of compound vaccines like MMR over individual vaccines, and the blanket approach to vaccination of all children without regard to family history.

Points of Review
Cave dedicates an entire chapter to The Autism Debate. The correlation between the characteristics of autism and those of mercury poisoning cannot be debated, but with recent legislation requiring the removal of thimerosal from vaccines would Dr. Cave still express concern about the link between autism and vaccines? (According to the CDC thimerosal is now only used in the manufacturing of flu vaccines though vaccines once made with thimerosal have not been pulled from the market and may still be administered.) Her primary concern is the removal of mercury from vaccines, which dates the book (published in 2001), and limits the concern between autism and vaccines to this one matter.

Though Cave points out many things to question about vaccination and gives several reasons to decline certain vaccines or postpone vaccination she never makes a direct anti-vaccine sentiment. In general Cave’s perspective appears to be that as long as there isn’t a family history of autoimmune disease and/or a compromised immune system, and if vaccines are given individually at separate appointments the risk from vaccination is limited. Though I agree that the risk of adverse effects is greatly reduced as a result of these considerations, I still question whether the benefits outweigh the risks. There is growing research and concern regarding the correlation between Alzheimer’s Disease and the flu vaccine in the elderly, and chronic arthritis and the rubella vaccine in women that make me question when, if ever, it really becomes beneficial to administer vaccines.

Conclusions
This book may offer the middle ground that neither those that are strongly pro-vaccination support nor those that are strongly anti-vaccination support. I would recommend this book to every parent, especially those that do not realize that there is a controversy surrounding vaccination. This book approaches the topic of vaccination in a manner that recognizes the correlation between vaccination and the reduction of disease but also questions the correlation between vaccination and the risks associated with it. It presents many concerns about the current vaccination schedule and suggests practical alternatives for those that choose to vaccinate their children that will hopefully reduce the risks associated with vaccination. Though the book is somewhat out-of-date future editions (if written) will easily clarify the information that is no longer current.