RESOURCES
Complete information on vaccines including frequently asked questions, immunization schedules, effectiveness and safety is available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: www.cdc.gov/vaccines
The Problem With Dr Bob’s Alternative Vaccine Schedule by Paul A. Offit, MD and Charlotte A. Moser, BS. In October 2007, Dr Robert Sears, in response to growing parental concerns about the safety of vaccines, published The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child. Sears includes “Dr Bob’s Alternative Vaccine Schedule,” a formula by which parents can delay, withhold, separate, or space out vaccines. Many parents now insist that their children receive vaccines according to Sears’ schedule, rather than that recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Family Physicians. This article examines the reasons for the popularity of Sears’ book, deconstructs the logic and rationale behind its recommendations and describes how Sears’ misrepresentation of vaccine science misinforms parents trying to make the right decisions for their children.