this is a page of information about vaccines, compiled from my own learning and the resources linked below. this is not a substitute for medical advice from your own family doctor; it is merely a page of information for me and my patients to quickly reference. you should always seek care with YOUR family doctor if you have questions or concerns about vaccination.

Vaccine Information Sheets (CDC provided)

CDC Immunization Schedules (2025)

books I have read, and suggest for further reading

Please note, these books are for INFORMATION and are not RECOMMENDATIONS or SUBSTITUTION for care. Your family doctor should answer any and all questions you have about vaccines; these books could be helpful in addressing some of those questions or help you think more deeply about this topic.

Between a Shot and a Hard Place by Joel Warsh, MD, MSC

The Vaccine Friendly Plan by Paul Thomas MD

what's a contraindication? what's a precaution?

contraindications are medical conditions or risk factors that make it INAPPROPRIATE to administer a vaccine to a person. an example is giving a live vaccine to a pregnant person.

contraindication = do NOT VACCINATE.

precautions are medical conditions or risk factors that could slightly increase the risk of adverse events, might compromise the efficacy of the vaccine (i.e. make it not effective for the person receiving it), or might confuse the vaccine with other problems. examples include a child who has an illness who is due for vaccines - the parents and/or doctor might choose to delay that child's vaccines to the following week or two when the child is healthy again, because it would be unclear if continued illness/fever was due to the vaccine or due to the pre-existing illness.

precautions = ok to give vaccines, but: think twice and have further conversation about risks and benefits before administering

Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)

  • vaccination introduced in 1963
  • MMR II - Merck vaccine (usually given in US); ingredients:
    • live attenuated (or weakened) viruses
    • sodium phosphate
    • sucrose
    • recombinant human albumin
    • neomycin (antibiotic)

MEASLES (measles virus)

    • spread: respiratory droplets/direct contact
      • prior to introduction, 3-4 million cases per year, with ~48,000 annual hospitalizations; 400-500 deaths per year
      • one infected person infects 18 other people ON AVERAGE! this is a very contagious disease!
    • potential complications from infection: pneumonia (6% of children), encephalitis (1 in 1000; potentially causes permanent brain damage or death); SSPE (subacute sclerosing panencephalitis – rare but FATAL and occurs years after measles infection, 4-11 out of 100,000 cases); immune amnesia (impaired immune function after infection with measles, affects up to 50% of people infected with measles)

MUMPS (mumps virus)

    • spread: respiratory droplets or direct contact
    • complications: orchitis (testicular inflammation; can cause infertility), pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas, which can cause type I diabetes), encephalitis (inflammation/infection of the brain), hearing loss

RUBELLA (German measles)

    • causes congenital rubella syndrome in fetuses, if pregnant women become ill. this can cause: miscarriage, stillbirth, or severe birth defects including hearing loss, heart defects, intellectual disabilities