Do Vaccines Cause That?! A Guide for Evaluating Vaccine Safety Concerns

Today I want to take a look at Martin Myers' 2008 book, Do Vaccines Cause That?! A Guide for Evaluating Vaccine Safety Concerns. A more practical discussion than what either Mnookin or Offit provided, Myers' book is a great primer for busy parents trying to sort out the vaccine-autism story. Consider this book if you're a parent-to-be or a new parent and want to know the facts about vaccines.

Myers designs his book to give parents a sense of reassurance about vaccines. He provides information on many of the anti-vaccine movement's claims and how scientific fact has refuted them. For instance, Myers talks about thimerosal, a mercury-based additive in vaccines, which has received a good deal of attention by anti-vaccine activists. Study after study has shown that no connection exists between thimerosal and any childhood illness, much less autism, and Myers explains why.

In addition, Myers addresses many of the consequences of not having your children vaccinated. Put into perspective with the risks, vaccines clearly make the better choice for protecting your children. The information presented in this section of the book is similar to that found in other sources, but having everything collected in one, easy reference is valuable.

Another great aspect of this book is that Myers provides parents with ways to find legitimate information on vaccines. Instead of simply asking you to believe him and the sources he has collected, he offers resources for further information, so that parents end up basing their decisions on the latest scientific fact.

The main drawback of Myers' approach is that it can get technical at times. Still, it is better for parents to struggle to understand a few complex medical facts than to get sucked in by pseudoscientific claims that could end up severely harming their children. Myers definitely makes my recommendation list.