Vaccines are among the most safe and effective public health interventions to prevent serious disease and death. Because of the success of vaccines, most Americans today have no firsthand experience with such devastating illnesses as polio or diphtheria. Health care providers who vaccinate young children follow a schedule prepared by the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Under the current schedule, children younger than six may receive as many as 24 immunizations by their second birthday. New vaccines undergo rigorous testing prior to receiving FDA approval; however, like all medicines and medical interventions, vaccines carry some risk. Driven largely by concerns about potential side effects, there has been a shift in some parents' attitudes toward the child immunization schedule. The Childhood Immunization Schedule and Safety identifies research approaches, methodologies, and study designs that could address questions about the safety of the current schedule. This report is the most comprehensive examination of the immunization schedule to date. The IOM authoring committee uncovered no evidence of major safety concerns associated with adherence to the childhood immunization schedule. Should signals arise that there may be need for investigation, however, the report offers a framework for conducting safety research using existing or new data collection systems.

The AAP's authoritative guide on preventing, recognizing, and treating more than 200 childhood infectious diseases. Developed by the AAP's Committee on Infectious Diseases as well as the expertise of the CDC, the FDA, and hundreds of physician contributors.

The Vaccine Handbook has a simple purpose- to draw together authoritative information about vaccines into a simple and concise resource that can be used in the office, clinic, and hospital. Not an encyclopedia or scientific textbook, The Vaccine Handbook gives practical advice and provides enough background for the practitioner to understand the recommendations and explain them to his or her patients. For each vaccine, the authors discuss the disease and its epidemiology, the vaccine’s efficacy and safety, and the practical questions most frequently asked about the vaccine’s use. The authors also discuss problems such as allergies, breastfeeding, dosing intervals and missed vaccines, and immunocompromised individuals. This handbook is also available electronically for handheld computers. See Media listing for details.

This practical guide contains seven modules targeted at district and health facility staff. It intends to meet the demands to improve immunization services so as to reach more infants in a sustainable way, building upon the experiences of polio eradication. It includes materials adapted from polio on planning, monitoring and use of data to improve the service, that can be used at any level. Revising the manual has been a team exercise. There are contributions from a large number of experts, organizations and institutions. This new edition has seven modules. Several new vaccines that have become more readily available and used in recent years have been added. Also the section on integration with other health interventions has been expanded as exciting opportunities and experiences have become evident in the years following the previous edition. Module 1: Target diseases and vaccines Module 2: The vaccine cold chain Module 3: Ensuring safe injections Module 4: Microplanning for reaching every community Module 5: Managing an immunization session Module 6: Monitoring and surveillance Module 7: Partnering with communities.

Calling the Shots examines the basic strategies that finance the national immunization system in the current health care climate. It is a comprehensive volume, rich with data and highlighted examples, that explores: The evolution of the system in light of changing U.S. demographics, development of new vaccines, and other factors. The effectiveness of public health and health insurance strategies, with special emphasis on the performance of the "Section 317" program. The condition of the infrastructure for control and prevention of infectious disease, surveillance of vaccines rates and safety, and efforts to sustain high coverage. Calling the Shots will be an indispensable resource to those responsible for maintaining our nation's vaccine vigilance.