By Colleen Padilla at Classy Mommy

Our second B.O.M.B. Award goes to Colleen because, not only are vaccines one of the hottest topics around right now, but she has brought an archetypal expert to the world of Mom Bloggers. The interview is both thoughtful and really informative, and it's something that will interest us all. Great blog, Colleen!

As a Mom of a 2 year old and 3 month old, I loved The Vaccine Book. I found your writing style and research easy to digest. As a former pharmaceutical sales rep, I really appreciated your comprehensive research into the Product Inserts for each vaccine and your breakdown of each vaccine by brand to show the differences in ingredients dependent upon the manufacturer of each shot. That info coupled with your discussion on what ingredients could be controversial enables parents to draw their own conclusions about each vaccine so they can make the best decision for their children.

Classy Mommy: The Vaccine Book made a VERY compelling case for an alternative safe vaccine schedule. In your opinion why do you think more pediatricians do not share a similar concern?

Most pediatricians don’t have the time to research vaccines in detail on their own, which is very understandable. They simply must rely on the medical associations and policy makers to do the research for them and pass on general medical policies (such as the vaccine schedule) to them. So most doctors have never even heard the information that has led me to create a safer vaccine schedule because we aren’t taught about many of the potential problems with vaccines in medical school. It was my particular interest in vaccines that led me to do extensive research this on my own and come up with my alternative schedule. My schedule only gives two shots at a time, delays certain vaccines that aren’t needed in the first year, and spreads the shots out over several years instead of grouping all the infant vaccines into the first 18 months of life. My schedule does get children fully vaccinated eventually, it simply does so in a more logical manner that minimizes reactions and maximizes safety by not overloading young infants with so many chemicals all at once.

Classy Mommy: What do you say to the common, everyday parents who are trying desperately to find unbiased and clear answers to the question, “Should I vaccinate my child?”

As a pediatrician, I get asked this question everyday. In the old days, patients just did whatever the doctor ordered, no questions (or at least, not too many questions) asked. But when it comes to vaccines, giving parents a quick and easy “I think vaccines are safe and you really need to vaccinate your child” answer just doesn’t work. Parents want to know more. What are the possible side effects? What is the risk of catching a severe case of the diseases? Is mercury still in some vaccines? What other ingredients are in the shots? Do vaccines cause autism? Is it safe to give so many shots simultaneously? There’s no short answer to these and the myriad of other questions that parents have. The problem is, doctors only have about 15 minutes to spend with you at your baby’s checkup. This is just enough time to do an exam and answer some basic questions about feeding, development, and behavior. If you try to throw in a dozen vaccine questions at the end of your visit, do you really think you’ll get some open and thorough answers? Probably not.

To read the rest of the interview with Dr. Sears and find out how the medical community views the controversy as well as how you can get your questions answered by your doctor, visit Classy Mommy.

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