Pneumonia Vaccine in Children

The pneumonia vaccine (Prevnar-7®) is a relatively new addition to the immunization schedule for infants and children. Even though many people call it the pneumonia vaccine it actually protects children against meningitis, blood infection, ear infection, and pneumonia.  In the U.S. Read more

November H1N1 Update

Each month I give an update on the current state of things in the US as it applies to H1N1 Influenza.  In general, I feel like the new vaccine is a good idea.  This is based on how bad I think H1N1 will be and how safe I think the vaccine is.  To me, the risk:benefit strongly favors vaccination.  However, I will admit I cannot be sure.  Fortunately data on both H1N1 and the vaccine is easily available if you know where to look.  My goal is to bring this information to you each month so that you can make informed medical decisions for you and your family. Read more

Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System

If you are a parent concerned about vaccine side effects, you are going to love this website.  It is called CDC Wonder.  It is a web-based tool connected to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).  The VAERS website is a site that is accessible to anyone (patient, parent, doctor, anyone…).  Simply go to the site and report any event that you (or your child) experience which you feel is potentially related to a vaccine.  The website keeps all reported events in a database.  Read more