When it comes to making vaccination decisions, autism is the main worry on every new parent's mind. On one side of the debate, we have 99% of the medical community and researchers worldwide reassuring us that vaccines have no link to autism. On the other side are tens of thousands of parents who have watched their children regress into autism between age 1 and 2. And these parents, including celebrities like Jenny McCarthy, are becoming more and more vocal about what their “mommy instinct” is telling them.

Honestly, I've read ALL the research, and both sides present good data and good arguments. I'm not sure who is right at this point. Until I see enough evidence showing vaccines are linked to autism, I certainly am not going to tell anyone that vaccines contribute to autism. But, at the same time, I can't say for sure that vaccines absolutely do NOT play any role at all in contributing to autism.

So what should parents do? It would seem you have two choices: Either you continue following the standard recommended vaccination schedule so your child has disease protection while this issue is studied, which will probably take at least a few years, or you stop vaccinating until further research gives us answers one way or the other.

For those of you who are considering declining vaccines altogether, I would at least like to make you aware of the option that I call Selective Vaccination.

SELECTIVE VACCINATION

My Selective Vaccination Schedule gives your child the most crucial shots at the age when they are most needed while leaving out the shots that tend to have more severe or more frequent side effects. It omits vaccines for diseases that are usually mild, don’t occur during young childhood, don’t exist in our country, or are fairly rare. (These shots are still important for the immunity of our nation as a whole, they just don’t fit all the criteria choosy parents have).

This Selective Vaccination Schedule calls for only two shots at a time and only one aluminum-containing vaccine at a time, and every shot listed fits at least two of the three criteria I use in deciding which vaccines are the most important:

1. The disease is likely to be very severe (fatal, permanently disabling, or requiring hospitalization).

2. The disease is not only severe, it’s also fairly common.

3. The vaccines have the lowest probability of causing a severe reaction and have as few controversial ingredients as possible.

Dr. Bob’s Selective Vaccination Schedule
2 months DTaP, Rotavirus
3 months Pc, HIB
4 months DTaP, Rotavirus
5 months Pc, HIB
6 months DTaP, Rotavirus
7 months Pc, HIB
15 months Pc, HIB
5 years Tetanus booster
10 years Blood tests (called “titer” tests) for measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, and Hep A immunity. If a titer is positive, showing your child acquired immunity through natural exposure, he may not need the shot, but consider vaccinating if not immune.
Also consider a 3-dose polio series if travel to Africa or Asia is a possibility.
11 years *HPV (3 doses, girls only). *Note: This vaccine is too new for me to sign off on completely. Read my note under, “Why These Shots?”
12 years Hep B (3 doses)

WHY THESE SHOTS?

DTaP
Although diphtheria and tetanus don’t fit my criteria, pertussis certainly does. It’s common, it’s potentially severe in the first year of life, and the side effect profile of the vaccine is acceptable. The ingredients do include some chemicals, but overall it fits most of the criteria. The eighteen-month DTaP that is normally recommended isn’t as critical after the first year of life, so I don’t include it here. The tetanus booster is shown at age five to provide protection for the growing child.

Rotavirus
Rotavirus is certainly common, potentially severe for infants, and the ingredients and known side effects of the vaccine so far are reasonable.

Pc
Pneumococcus is a very common germ, yet most cases are fairly mild. Severe cases of Pc are uncommon but do occur. The side effects and ingredients of the vaccine are acceptable.

HIB
HIB is a severe disease when it does strike, but fortunately it is extremely rare now. The ingredients and side effects of the vaccine seem to be among the safest of all shots.

HPV
HPV is an important disease to try to prevent, but the vaccine is also very new. If the safety and effectiveness of the HPV vaccine pan out over the next couple of years, then I will probably keep it on my list. Visit www.TheVaccineBook.com for updates.

Hep B
Although hepatitis B is very severe when it occurs in babies and children, it is rare in that age group and the listed vaccine side effects do include some potentially bad reactions, so I didn’t put it on my list for infants. I do, however, put it on the list for preteens. It’s important to note that I recommend most of these shots be given during the ages when they are most needed—infancy for the first four vaccines and the preteen years for the last two. It wouldn’t make much sense to wait until age one or two to give the infant shots because the child is way past the age when these illnesses tend to strike and strike hard. I also realize that parents who do not wish to vaccinate think their kids don’t need hep B or HPV protection until the teen years (or never at all for those with perfect children), so I don’t push until the shots become more relevant.